Rasha Aridi

Rasha Aridi

 

Rasha Aridi is a science journalist based in Richmond, Virginia. She has written for Science magazine and Science News for Students. You can find her portfolio at rashaaridi.com.

Each year, Purdue University’s INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering turns into a toy testing laboratory.

The Ten Best STEM Toys to Give as Gifts in 2020

Tested and reviewed by engineers, these top picks make coding, robotics and engineering more accessible than ever

In some states, the odds of having a Covid-positive guest at a ten-person dinner are as high as 80 percent.

Are Small Gatherings Driving Recent Covid-19 Surges? Policymakers and Scientists Are at Odds

Data suggests that universities, indoor dining and large parties may be the bigger culprits

Tomova used a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine to see how participants' brains responded to images of drool-worthy food and social gatherings.

Why Hunger and Loneliness Activate the Same Part of the Brain

The study suggests that social interaction isn't just comforting or fun—it's a human need

The highest concentration of microplastics—119 particles per quart of water—were found around Everest Base Camp, where climbers spend time resting, regrouping and acclimatizing to the high elevation.

Even Mount Everest, the World's Tallest Peak, Can't Escape Microplastics

At 27,690 feet in elevation, the mountain is the highest point above sea level where microplastics have been detected

Teams of engineers looked for remedies to help save the telescope, but repairs would be too risky for a construction team to safely undertake.

After Suffering Irreparable Damage, It's Lights Out for the Arecibo Observatory's Iconic Telescope

The 1,000-foot telescope has been a pillar for astronomical research, leading to some of the cosmos' most exciting discoveries

A white cloud floats over the top of Mount Everest at dusk.

Into Thicker Air and Onto Thinner Ice: How Climate Change Is Affecting Mount Everest

Researchers have documented that the high-altitude air is gaining more oxygen and large glaciers are melting at rapid rates

But since 2010, the percentage of children around the world receiving the first vaccine has plateaued at around 85 percent; only 71 percent receive the second dose.

A Resurgence of Measles Killed More Than 200,000 People Last Year

Public health experts worry that vaccine availability will be further stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic

Fourteen years ago, a team of commercial fossil hunters discovered a dinosaur pelvis jutting out of a hillside on a private farm in Montana, and their discovery revealed an intertwined T. rex and Triceratops.

The Mystery of the 'Dueling Dinosaurs' May Finally Be Solved Now That They've Found a Home

The duo is headed to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where researchers will soon determine whether the fossils were even sparring at all

Canadians gathered around their dining room tables for Thanksgiving on October 12, and two weeks later, authorities reported a spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Covid-19 Cases Surged After Canadian Thanksgiving in October. Will Americans Heed Their Northern Neighbor's Warning?

Two out of five Americans plan to gather in large groups for the holiday, raising public health concerns

A remarkable abundance of wildlife reside on or around the territory's four islands, including endangered yellow-nosed albatross, sevengill sharks, rockhopper penguins and 11 species of whales and dolphins.

A Tiny Atlantic Island Just Protected a Giant, Pristine Stretch of the Ocean

Tristan da Cunha fully protected 90 percent of its waters, safeguarding its vibrant biodiversity

The spinning magnetar transferred a remarkable amount of energy to the debris created by the collision, heating the material up and generating a bright glow.

In a First, Astronomers Witnessed the Birth of a Supermassive Magnetar Following a Glorious Kilonova

The scientists originally thought that the cosmic crash would create a black hole

Compared to other P. robustus males recovered from a nearby cave system called Swartkrans, DNH 155 (pictured here) was much smaller and had more female-like characteristics.

Newly Unearthed Skull Reveals How Ancient Hominids Evolved to Survive a Changing Climate

"Paranthropus robustus" evolved sturdier skulls to be able to eat new, tough vegetation

Pets consume an estimated 26.6 million metric tons of pet food each year, contributing 64 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually.

Kibbles and Bugs? Purina Just Launched Pet Food Made of Fly Larvae

The move is meant to diversify how the company obtains protein for its products

The new archive tracks how 96 different species have moved across the Arctic over the last 28 years.

Arctic Wildlife Are Shifting Their Behaviors Due to Climate Change

The new, collaborative data archive tracks nearly 100 species over the last three decades

Of the deep-water samples collected by this team, they identified 11 fish families, 11 genera and eight species. This fish, from the genus Leptochilichthys, was discovered at nearly 3,000 feet deep.

Scientists Collect Floating Bits of DNA to Study Deep Sea Creatures

Analyzing seawater samples reveals what critters lurk there—without having to see them

Qing-Hua Shang, Xiao-Chun Wu and Chun Li / Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

New Prehistoric Marine Reptile Resembled a Miniature Mix of Loch Ness Monster, Alligator and Toothy T. Rex

The researchers originally thought the fossils belonged to the well-known nothosaurs, but analysis revealed an entirely new species

The U.S., the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain have all reported coronavirus outbreaks on mink farms.

Denmark Plans to Kill 15 Million Mink to Prevent Spread of Mutated Coronavirus on Fur Farms

At least 12 Danish people have been infected with a SARS-CoV-2 mutation linked to the ferret-like animals

President Trump originally campaigned on the promise that the U.S. would soon back out of the agreement, and in 2017, he formally started the process.

As of This Morning, the U.S. Has Officially Withdrawn From the Paris Climate Agreement

The country is the first to leave the accord

A genetic analysis revealed that by the end of the last ice age—around 11,000 years ago—there were a least five distinct lineages that gave rise to dogs in New Guinea, the Americas, northern Europe, the Near East and Siberia.

How Dogs and Humans Evolved and Migrated in Tandem

Our relationship with pups spans millennia, and new DNA analysis shows just how much people influenced canine evolution

The Philippines is naturally exposed to natural disasters like typhoons and experiences around 20 typhoons each year.

The World's Most Powerful Storm in Four Years Strikes the Philippines

The Philippines is naturally at risk for natural disasters, but storms like Goni are expected to strengthen and occur more frequently with climate change

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