Rachel Nuwer

Rachel Nuwer

 

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.

Neanderthal Hunters Probably Didn’t Herd Mammoths Off Cliffs

Not that it's impossible, in general; it just probably didn't happen at this one particular spot

Outside the Americas, Knives Are Often the Weapon of Choice in Homicides

More than 130 people in Kunming, China, were injured when about ten men and women wielding knives began stabbing others at random

Eight Million Tons of Illegal E-Waste Is Smuggled Into China Each Year

Despite the health and environmental issues, a thriving black market makes China the world's biggest e-waste importer

The Wine Industry Thinks It's Getting Us Drunk Too Quickly

As a fix, wine scientists are searching for a wild yeast species that will produce less alcoholic beverages

Blind People's Dreams Are Richer in Sounds, Touches, Tastes And Smells

Compared to people whose sight is intact, blind people experience touch, smell, taste and sound more frequently in dreams

White rhinos help shape the ecosystem by increasing plant diversity and providing grazing patches for other animals.

Here’s What Might Happen to Local Ecosystems If All the Rhinos Disappear

African landscapes may become very different places if rhinos aren't there to diversify plant life and create prime grazing spots for other animals

The Mystery of This 500-Year Old Mummy Is Only Beginning To Be Solved

For more than a century, no one in Germany knew where this mummy came from

There Might Be a Way to Eat More Meat Without Ruining the Planet

Grain has a lot to do with it

A Drug Company Tried to Block the Use of Pentobarbital in Executions, But U.S. States Are Finding Ways Around the Ban

In 2011, the Danish company behind the drug, Lunbeck, banned the sale of pentobarbital for execution purposes.

Reusing Hotel Towels Actually Does Make a Difference

Laundry accounts for 16 percent of hotels' water usage, which translates into significant energy costs

Middle-Aged Kids Can Still Stress Their Parents Out

Being too involved or not involved enough in middle-aged kids' lives can cause parents to become depressed

Camels Have Been Carrying Around a Deadly, Contagious Virus For At Least Twice As Long As Anyone Realized

Over the past twenty years, cases of the MERS virus might have gone undetected in infected humans

This Baby-Making App Is Taking on the Task of Insuring Against Infertility

Those who do not conceive after 10 months receive funds for infertility tests from either a public pool they contributed to or from their employer

Naples' Dog DNA Database Tracks Owners Who Don’t Clean Up After Their Pets

U.S. condo building picked up this idea, and now Naples is spreading it across a city

These Two Explorers Just Broke the Record for Longest Walk in the South Pole

Last time someone tried this, the entire team wound up dying from the cold

The first map of the new Hollywood development, from 1887.

Hollywood Was Once an Alcohol-Free Community

Modern Hollywood is a far cry from its intrepid female founder's "dream of beauty"

Various ways to morph regular fishing line into ultra-strong artificial muscles.

The Ultra-Strong Robotic Muscles of the Future Could Be Made From Fishing Line

One day, we could have muscles made of fishing line in our own bodies, too

There Is an Odd Link Between People Who Get Bitten by Cats And Depression

There's some connection between cat bites and mental illness—it's just not clear what it is

Ant Larvae Are Used as Living Floaties to Save the Queen From Floods

When the floods begin, the entire colony does its part in forming a living, floating mass, placing the queen at the protective center

Nicaragua stands to lose around one million acres of rainforest and wetlands if the new canal is built.

Nicaragua Plans to Bisect the Country With a Massive Canal

The canal would cause “tragic devastation” to both the country’s natural heritage and indigenous communities, scientists say

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