Rachel Nuwer

Rachel Nuwer

 

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.

Blood-sucking kissing bugs carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease, a malady that plagues some 9 million people in Latin America.

A Blood-Sucking Foe Lurks in Central American Caves

Kissing bugs, which can spread Chagas disease, turned up positive for human blood meals in caves in Guatemala and Belize

A carrion beetle fossil from the Cretaceous period.

Carrion Beetles Were the First Caring Parents

Flesh-eating beetles that lived 125 million years ago set the stage for modern parenting

At MIT, a Robot Cheetah Is Sprinting—And Leaping—Across Campus

MIT's robot cheetah may not be the only one in Boston—but it can leap

Schizophrenia Might Actually Be Eight Different Disorders

The finding could help researchers devise more effective treatments that are tailored for individual patients

The Average Prisoner Only Gets Two Visits While They Are Incarcerated

Prisoners who receive the most visitors, however, tend to do the best after they are released

The "skylight" appears as a light pink splotch atop this leatherback sea turtle's head.

Leatherback Sea Turtles Can Measure Sunlight Through Their Skulls

The anatomical skylight allows the turtles to synch up with the seasons

New Study: Blame Defective Wells for Fracking Leaks

Fixing shoddy wells could mean making fracking safer for the environment

This Website Wants to Make Your Major Life Decisions for You

The site could help people who just want their decisions validated or who honestly have no idea what to do with themselves

A 24-Year-Old Woman Just Discovered She's Had a Hole in Her Brain Her Entire Life

This rare care demonstrates just how incredibly adaptive the human brain is

Sugar gliders, marsupials native to Australia.

Adorable Portraits Put Nocturnal Animals in the Spotlight

A new photo book showcases animals we humans rarely see—while a new study says we may have more in common with night-dwellers than thought

Dog Movies Create Ten-Year Spikes in Breeds' Popularity

"Lassie" alone led to a 40 percent increase in the number of border collies that families adopted

Women Get More Politically Engaged When Their Senator Is Also Female

Women no longer lag far behind men in political savvy when they have a female leader to look toward

The Social Media Fight Between the U.S. and ISIS Is Weirder Than You'd Imagine

The U.S. has decided to fight propaganda with propaganda

When We're Lonely, Inanimate Faces Come Alive

Our minds are less particular about the source of comfort when we are craving contact with others

Sir John Franklin’s Doomed Ship Just Turned Up in the Arctic After 170 Years

The two ships disappeared in 1846 during a British expedition trying to map the Northwest Passage

Summer Vacation Is Actually About City Kids, Not Farm Kids

If school breaks were really scheduled around farming needs, then kids would be in the classroom during the summer months

A model depicting a Viking ring fortress layout.

Newly Discovered Viking Fortress Could Have Been a Launch Point for Invading England

The ring-shaped complex could have been used as a military training ground

Why Networking Can Make You Feel Dirty

Pursuing relationships to forward your career aspirations triggers a sense of moral disgust

Every Year for the Next 100 Years, Authors Will Write Books That Won't Be Read Until 2114

Author Margaret Atwood's new book became the first to go into the century-long time capsule project

Case Solved on Jack the Ripper? Not So Fast

An author and a scientist claim to have proven the identity of the notorious 19th century killer, but others say the evidence is lacking

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