Bethany Brookshire

Staff Writer, Science News for Students, 2013–2021

Bethany Brookshire was the staff writer at Science News for Students from 2013 to 2021. She has a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy from The College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is also a host on the podcast Science for the People, and a 2019-2020 MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.

All Stories by Bethany Brookshire

  1. Tech

    50 years ago, a Japanese scientist dreamed up a rocket-propelled train

    50 years ago, a Japanese engineer tried rocket boosters on a train. Today, high-speed trains propelled by superconducting magnets are being tested.

  2. Science & Society

    Fighting sexual harassment in science may mean changing science itself

    Sexual harassment is disturbingly prevalent in academia. But a course correction may involve tearing down the hierarchy that makes science run.

  3. Health & Medicine

    To regulate fecal transplants, FDA has to first answer a serious question: What is poop?

    Fecal transplants are the treatment of the future for some conditions. But right now, they are entirely unregulated. Here’s why putting regulations in place is so complex.

  4. Animals

    50 years ago, scientists warned of a sparrow’s extinction

    Only 17 dusky seaside sparrows remained in 1968. Today, there are none.

  5. Chemistry

    Want to build a dragon? Science is here for you

    Fire-breathing dragons can’t live anywhere outside of a book or TV. But nature provides some guidance as to how they might get their flames. If they existed, anyway.

  6. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, early organ transplants brought triumph and tragedy

    In 1968, the liver transplant field had its first small successes. Now, more than 30,000 patients in the U.S. receive a donated liver each year.

  7. Science & Society

    Wikipedia has become a science reference source even though scientists don’t cite it

    Wikipedia is everyone’s go-to source. Even scientists. A new study shows how science on Wikipedia may end up forwarding science itself.

  8. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, IUDs were deemed safe and effective

    50 year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared intrauterine devices safe and effective, though officials didn’t know how the IUDs worked.

  9. Neuroscience

    Even brain images can be biased

    Brain scan studies that are drawn from rich and well-educated groups could lead to biased ideas of how our brains develop.

  10. Humans

    50 years ago, folate deficiency was linked to birth defects

    50 years ago, scientists found that a lack of folic acid in pregnant women could cause birth defects. But now, how much is too much?

  11. Neuroscience

    The brain’s helper cells have a hand in learning fear

    After a traumatic experience, rat brains release inflammatory signals that come from astrocytes, suggesting a new role for the brain’s “helper” cells.

  12. Psychology

    Whether psychology research is improving depends on whom you ask

    Psychologists are pessimistic about the state of their field but want to improve, a survey shows. But are new measures working?