Rachel Nuwer

Rachel Nuwer

 

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.

The coffin-within-a-coffin at Greyfriars

Mysterious Coffin-in-a-Coffin Found Under the Same Parking Lot as Richard III

The only marker on the coffin lid is a cross, but the person must have been of high social status to warrant such an elaborate burial

None

Even in the Remote Wilderness, Frogs Are Not Safe From Pesticides

The next step is to figure out how, if at all, the frogs are affected by their chemical loads

The first bog body ever photographed, which was discovered in Denmark in 1898.

Celebrate 262 Years of Bog Bodies on International Bog Day

Thanks to their cool, oxygen-poor conditions, bogs are a hostile environment for microbes—and a great environment for inadvertently embalming bodies

None

You Really Might Sleep Worse When the Moon Is Full

Rather than some sort of phenomenon driving this finding, it's probably a simple issue of the full moon shining sleep-disturbing light in people's eyes

Babies Aren’t Afraid of Heights Until They Start Crawling

It's only around month 9 that babies begin to recoil from the site of a steep staircase or the drop off of a changing table

None

A Well Preserved, 15-Foot Long Dinosaur Tail Is Being Dug Up in Mexico

The 72 million-year-old tail finding is quite rare, and a hip and other bones have also been found nearby

None

The Newport Aquarium’s New Shark Ray Was Killed by an Overenthusiastic Suitor

The aquarium has yet to name names or point fingers at which of the other four shark rays was responsible for the new female's undoing

What’s left of a former residential school in British Columbia

Canada’s Forgotten Experiments on Malnourished Indigenous Kids

During this period in history, the Canadian government strongly promoted a reeducation program of sorts for indigenous children

Etsy Has Banned Sales of Protected Animals’ Fur, Bones, Teeth And Bodies

Conservation groups are hoping that, with Etsy and Ebay on board, other sites such as Craigslist, Bonanza and Google Shop will follow suit

Americans’ Love of Driving Was Fading Even Before the Economy Crashed

This is good news for both the country and the planet, since less driving means less dependence on fossil fuels and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

None

There’s Some Truth to the Folklore of Cranberry Juice and UTIs

Research has yet to confirm that it has a significant impact on reducing UTIs, but compounds from cranberries inhibit the spread of UTI-causing bacteria

Blowing Out Birthday Candles Makes the Cake Taste Better

Rituals draw people in and help them focus on the present moment, which helps them focus on and enjoy the food that follows

None

The Climate Is Changing Faster Than Animals Have Ever Evolved

Most researchers agree, however, that there will be species winners and losers as a result of future climate change

Blue fluorescence spreads through a dying nematode worm, revealing the passage of death through its body over the hour and a half prior to the organism’s complete expiration.

A Glowing Blue Death Wave Envelops Roundworms Before They Expire

Studying nematodes as life leaves them may lead to insights into exactly how death travels through the body, and, perhaps, whether we can delay it

Miconia growing in Hawaii

In Hawaii, Scientists Are Battling Invasive Plants with Herbicide-Shooting Paintball Guns

Paintball gun-wielding researchers have used this Rambo-like approach to reduce some patches on invasive plants by 80 percent

None

Measles Outbreaks Are on the Rise in the U.S.

The latest Brooklyn outbreaks originated from someone contracting the disease abroad, carrying it home and spreading it to unvaccinated persons

None

Stress Is the Secret Ingredient That Makes Booze And Cigarettes a Perfect Match

Nicotine interferes with alcohol's ability to produce a surge of pleasurable, stress-reducing dopamine in our brain, increasing our desire to keep drinking

None

Small Universities Are Saving Funds And Pooling Resources by Merging

Schools that have merged enjoy perks such as new joint degree programs, more options for specialized majors, higher state rankings and reduced costs

A New Surgical Knife Identifies Cancerous Tissue As Doctors Are Cutting It Out

The knife cauterizes tissue and then analyzes the smoke produced by the burning flesh using mass spectrometry

Alzheimer’s Patients Often Self-Diagnose Years Before Doctors Do

In a study of 200 older people, researchers found that those who reported the most memory problems had the highest levels of beta amyloid in their brain

Page 50 of 83