Stephen Ornes

Freelance Writer

Stephen Ornes has been writing for Science News Explores since 2008, and his 2014 story "Where Will Lightning Strike?" won an AAAS/Kavli Gold Award. He lives in Nashville, Tenn., and he has three children, who are inventing their own language. His family has a cat, six chickens, and two rabbits, but he secretly thinks hagfish are the most fascinating animals. Stephen has written two books. One is a biography of mathematician Sophie Germain, who was born during the French Revolution. The other, which was published in 2019, features art inspired by math. Visit him online at stephenornes.com.

All Stories by Stephen Ornes

  1. Animals

    Fruit flies taste water

    A protein helps tell the brain, 'Got water.'

  2. Animals

    Elephant all-wheel drive

    An elephant strides more like humans than like other quadrupeds.

  3. Planets

    Mercury’s magnetic twisters

    The planet's strange atmosphere may have a lot to do with the sun.

  4. Environment

    Indoor ozone stopper

    Oils from human skin fight off this harmful chemical, but at a cost.

  5. Planets

    Cool as a Jupiter

    New-found, far-out planet could be similar to local gas giants.

  6. Microbes

    The tell-tale bacteria

    What germs populate the hands may be as unique as fingerprints.

  7. Chemistry

    The memory of a material

    A popular polymer can remember what shape it was in.

  8. Animals

    Half rooster, half hen

    Study of special chickens suggests new thinking on hormones and gender.

  9. Environment

    When frog gender flips

    With weed killer in the water, some males acquire female traits.

  10. Earth

    Earthquake shortens the day

    The recent South American quake sent Earth spinning just a big faster.

  11. Chemistry

    Heaviest named element is official

    Superheavy copernicium takes its place in the Periodic Table.

  12. Humans

    Writing on eggshells

    Etchings on artifacts suggest that really ancient people used symbols.