Rachel Nuwer

Rachel Nuwer

 

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.

There Is a Way to Make Lion Hunting Good for Lions

A contentious issue may have a bright side

Ancient Reptiles Kept Switching Between Laying Eggs And Giving Birth to Live Babies

Colder temperatures seem key to triggering the switch to live births

There's a Simple, Effective Way to Get Kids to Eat Vegetables—Pay Them

Kids throw away around $3.8 million of uneaten veggies and fruits from school lunches each year

The new tapir, Tapirus kabomani.

Scientists Discover a New Species of Tapir; Locals Say, “We Told You!”

The new tapir is the smallest of the world's five known species but it still counts as one of the largest mammals found in South America

Iceland in wintertime

Meet the Thirteen Yule Lads, Iceland’s Own Mischievous Santa Clauses

The Yule Lads used to be a lot more creepy than they are today, too, but in 1746 parents were officially banned from tormenting their kids with the stories

Cats have graced Asian households for millennia, as depicted in this 12th century print by Mao Yi.

Domestic Cats Enjoyed Village Life in China 5,300 Years Ago

Eight cat bones discovered in an archeological site in China provide a crucial link between domestic cats' evolution from wildcats to pets

The inside of a newly assembled Ikea temporary home.

Ikea’s Getting Into the Refugee Shelter Business

Ikea's latest installments are popping up in Lebanon, where around one million Syrians have sought refuge from the violence plaguing their own country

We All Experience Smells Differently From One Another

A difference of a single amino acid on one gene can cause that person to experience a smell differently than someone with another amino acid

Cut Down a Forest, Let It Grow Back, And Even 30 Years Later It’s Not the Same

In the tropics, secondary forests are often "ephemeral," succumbing to deforestation every 10 years or so and thus never able to fully recover

This Computer Algorithm Can Tell If You’re a Hipster

One day, they could help flash ads for single-speed bikes when you walk by

An 800-year-old medieval bridge spans the subterranean River Roch beneath Rochdale, England.

This River And Medieval Bridge, Paved Over for 100 Years, Will Soon Return to the Light

Local artists were recruited to help determine the river's ultimate design, and developers say the project could be completed by 2015

James Bond’s Martini Consumption Would Have Compromised His Physical, Mental and Sexual Abilities

The authors postulate that the spy's preference for shaken, not stirred vodka martinis may indicate a case of shaky hands caused by alcohol-induced tremors

Playing an Instrument Won’t Make Your Kid Smarter

Music can, however, boost children's creativity and teach them important life skills such as discipline and concentration--but so can other hobbies

Allergies Can Be So Specific That a Person Can React to a Egg's Yolk But Not Its Whites

Food allergies can be quite specific, triggered by a single species rather than entire genre such as "seafood"

Desert Tortoises May Be Starving, Dehydrating And Dying Because of Climate Change

Those that hadn't succumbed to death by drought appeared to have been predated on by starving coyotes, which usually eat mammals

Madagascar Is Battling a Bubonic Plague Outbreak

Health officials confirmed this week that at least 20 villagers have now died from plague, which likely originates from infected rats

Facebook's Most Popular Check-In Spots This Year Include Places in Iceland, Argentina and Nigeria

Top world destinations for check-ins are a bit unexpected, but perhaps reflect Facebook's popularity among varying cultures, interest groups and nations

Mindlessly Snapping Photos at Museums Keeps People From Remembering the Actual Visit

People might use cameras as a crutch for returning to and remembering things later rather than paying attention to what is transpiring in the moment

So with Turkestan roaches and Japanese roaches now calling North America home, how many cockroaches do we now have to worry about?

How Many Species of Cockroaches Plague Humanity?

There are 4,500 species of cockroaches in the world, but just 30 are considered pests

This flashy male chameleon is deadly beautiful to his competitors.

The More Rainbow Bright a Chameleon, the Greater His Battle Prowess

Male chameleons quickest on the color-changing draw and sporting the brightest palette tend beat out duller competitors

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