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

    Fish needs see-through head

    Barreleye peers out at the world like a fighter pilot does through a windshield.

  2. Space

    Deep-space dancers

    In a galaxy far, far away, black holes are spinning around each other.

  3. Health & Medicine

    The metal detector in your mouth

    The taste of metal is sweet, spicy, bitter, delicious and perhaps other, mystery tastes.

  4. Animals

    Newly named fish crawls and hops

    Crazy-colored, flat-faced fish does more than swim.

  5. Space

    Watching deep-space fireworks

    An orbiting telescope records the universe’s most powerful explosions.

  6. Animals

    Sponges’ secret weapon

    An aquatic animal provides a possible new kind of disease resistance.

  7. Tech

    Supergoo to the rescue

    The absorbent stuff in diapers may help clean up after a terrorist attack.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Greener Diet

    The planet is getting warmer, and what we eat isn’t helping.

  9. Physics

    See Comet Lulin

  10. Planets

    Either Martians or Mars has gas

    Martian methane points to possible life on the Red Planet.

  11. Math

    Calculating crime

    New math tools could help cops find robbers.

  12. Physics

    Earth from the inside out

    An invisible particle sheds light on the mysterious interior of the Earth.