My Writing

Articles

I write news and feature articles for both children and adults. Here are some of my recent favorites. You can also browse a full archive here.

Selected Clips
Built for Thrills!
SuperScience
Built for Thrills!
SuperScience

How engineers use forces and motion to design extreme roller coasters

SuperScience
Why School Should Start Later
New York Times for Kids
Why School Should Start Later
New York Times for Kids
New York Times for Kids
Are Monsters Real?
Scholastic MATH
Are Monsters Real?
Scholastic MATH

Scientists are on the hunt for the true identity of mysterious beasts

Scholastic MATH
The Bird Awards
New York Times for Kids
The Bird Awards
New York Times for Kids

5 of the most fantastic feathered artists

New York Times for Kids
Can I Train My Cat to Be Less Annoying?
Slate
Can I Train My Cat to Be Less Annoying?
Slate

Maybe.

Slate
The Secrets of Slime
SuperScience
The Secrets of Slime
SuperScience

How gooey mucus keeps animals alive

SuperScience
Swallowed Up
Science World
Swallowed Up
Science World

Sinkholes are engulfing buildings, roads, and even people. Can scientists learn how to predict them?

Science World
Underwater Adventurer
Science World
Underwater Adventurer
Science World

Justin Beckerman built his own one-man submarine to explore a nearby lake

Science World
Back from the Dead
Science World
Back from the Dead
Science World

Should scientists bring extinct species back to life?

Science World
Four Futures
Popular Science
Four Futures
Popular Science

How the choices we make today will change the world

Popular Science
The Data-Centric Universe
Popular Science
The Data-Centric Universe
Popular Science

How information makes the world a bigger place

Popular Science

WTF, Evolution?!

My first book, WTF, Evolution?!: A Theory of Unintelligible Design, started as a Tumblr project. It has sold more than 25,000 copies since 2014 and has been translated into German and Japanese.

Books for Kids

I also write nonfiction reference books for elementary-school students. I helped relaunch Scholastic’s “Nature’s Children” series in 2018 and have written five books in the series.