Copy Writing & Copy Editing
As a staffer, I was a professional, full-time science editor for more than eight years.
Chubby Kitties, Tubby Turtles, Mega Marmosets: Animals Are Fattening Up
Discover, November 24 2010.
A prophetic story from The Onion in 2003 seems to be coming true: our pets and even lab and wild animals are becoming obese alongside humans:
Amid a barrage of commercials for new diet dog and cat foods, many owners say that their pets are being held to.. →
Geckos Always Land on Their Feet—and So Does This Gecko-Bot
Discover, November 24 2010.
The gecko robot just keeps getting better. Not only can the robot climb up walls like the sticky-toed lizard, but it can automatically right itself while falling. Geckos, like cats and buttered toast, can naturally turn themselves around in midair.
Cats.. →
Big Scientists Pick Big Science’s Biggest Mistakes
Discover, November 24 2010.
Earlier this week Richard H. Thaler posted a question to selected Edge contributors, asking them for their favorite examples of wrong scientific theories that were held for long periods of time. You know, little ideas like “the earth is flat.” The.. →
Once-a-Day Pill Reduces HIV Infections—Would People Actually Take It?
Discover, November 24 2010.
A drug called Truvada seems to be able to prevent HIV infection from taking hold in the body when taken regularly. The once-a-day pill combines two anti-retroviral drugs, and was found to reduce new HIV infections in a study of 2,500 gay men. But there are two big.. →
Video Reveals How a Flying Snake Slithers Through the Air
Discover, November 23 2010.
They may not be as adorable as sugar gliders, but they’re just as accomplished: Five species of Asian snake have also developed the ability to “fly” or glide from tree to tree, flattening out their bodies to travel up to 80 feet. Researcher Jake.. →
Study: A Redesigned Combat Helmet Could Prevent Brain Injuries
Discover, November 23 2010.
Traumatic brain injury has become the signature war wound for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan–and new research suggests that soldiers may not be adequately protected against the explosions that cause these injuries. By modeling how blast waves propagate.. →
Thanks, Global Recession: You Made Carbon Emissions Drop a Little
Discover, November 22 2010.
World carbon emissions fell by 1.3 percent in 2009, most likely due to the global recession, says a report from the Global Carbon Project published today in Nature Geoscience. Emissions were originally expected to drop further (about 3 percent, as estimated from.. →
Tiger Summit: World Leaders Gather to Save the Big Cat From Extinction
Discover, November 22 2010.
The buzzwords of the week in Moscow are tiger and conservation. Sunday marked the opening of the worldwide tiger summit, which brought together high-level representatives from the 13 tiger-habitat countries, including Russia and China, to discuss the best plan to.. →
Memory Boost for Aging Adults: Take a Walk
LiveScience, January 31 2011.
Forget the brain puzzles, mild exercise such as walking can boost brain volume and improve memory in older adults, researchers have found.
“With a limited investment of time and effort you can produce fairly dramatic improvements in memory and brain.. →
13% of H.S. Biology Teachers Advocate Creationism in Class
LiveScience, January 27 2011.
The majority of high-school biology teachers don’t take a solid stance on evolution with their students, mostly to avoid conflicts, and fewer than 30 percent of teachers take an adamant pro-evolutionary stance on the topic, a new study finds. Also, 13 percent.. →