Rachel Nuwer

Rachel Nuwer

 

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.

Carcinogenic material was used as a finish coating in this painting.

Byzantine Monks Built Walls With Asbestos, Too

In millennia past, asbestos has also been used to make stronger pottery and flame-proof napkins

How the Zebra Got Its Stripes, According to Science

Rather than acting as camouflage or social signals, zebra stripes seem to deter biting flies

"Make eggs, make eggs!"

A Loving Touch Triggers Cockroaches to Make Babies Faster

Female cockroaches make eggs more quickly if they cuddle with other roaches, but artificial antennae delivering gentle touches can also speed egg growth

Tibetan protesters in Nepal.

Once 2,000 Tibetan Refugees Came to Nepal Each Year; Now It's Fewer Than 200. Why?

Nepal is caving to pressure from China to ostracize and persecute Tibetans

Sometimes Scientists Just Need to Be Left Alone

Proponents for alone time—Isaac Newton, included—think silence can be a precondition for a great breakthrough

Some of the expressions the researchers identified, from top left to bottom right: happy, sad, fearful, angry, surprised, disgusted, happily surprised, happily disgusted, sadly fearful, sadly angry.

"Happy Disgust" Is a Newly Recognized Human Facial Expression

Basic emotions like happy, sad or angry blend in interesting ways on the landscape of the human face

Heat Increases the Risk of Early-Term Delivery

As temperatures rise, delivery rooms see a peak in early-term babies

The Prescription for Rheumatism Used to Be to Sit Inside a Rotting Whale for 30 Hours

The treatment's efficacy, however, remains questionable

This Hospital Door Handle Doubles As a Hand Sanitizer

This way, infections don't spread as easily—and no one has to remember to Purel their hands

Japan Has Been Ordered to Stop Whaling Near Antarctica

The United Nations called foul on Japan's claim that whaling is done for scientific purposes

You Can Watch the First Ever Operation to Transplant a 3D-Printed Skull Into a Person's Head

The operation, which took place on a 22-year-old Dutch woman, was a success

Kids Get Confused by Anthropomorphized Animals in Storybooks

This doesn't mean we should stop reading them those books, however

The Golden Gate Bridge Will Soon Get a Suicide Net Add-On

After record suicide numbers last year, the city will vote in May whether or not to install the net

This Firefly Time-Lapse Video Is Beautiful

A visit to a serene lake in Missouri kicked off an obsession with creating time-lapse images of fireflies

Why Dark-Colored Pigeons Are More Common in Cities

Melanin seems to help the birds get rid of potentially toxic compounds from the environment

There's an Actual Scientific Reason Not to Pee in the Pool

When urine mixes with chlorine, potentially harmful substances can result

Young Men Often Deal With Unwanted Sexual Advances From Women

Nearly half of the male students surveyed said they had been on the receiving end of an attempt at sexual coercion

So Far, E-Cigarettes Don't Seem to Have Inspired Many Smokers to Quit

E-cigarette users were no more or less likely to quit than smokers who stuck with tobacco

Young Fish Exposed to Deepwater Horizon Oil Develop Defects in Their Hearts

The impacts extend to economically valuable species such as tuna and amberjack

There's more going on here than you might suspect.

Never Underestimate a Goat; It's Not As Stupid As It Looks

Goats are not just cute and somewhat comical, but also surprisingly intelligent, new research finds

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