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. Health & Medicine

    High-intensity interval training has great gains — and pain

    Intense spurts of activity followed by brief rest can improve heart health, blood glucose and muscle endurance. But some question if the pain of HIIT workouts will impede the popularity.

  2. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, a promising agent pulled

    DMSO was promised to cure everything from headache to the common cold. But human testing stopped in 1965.

  3. Science & Society

    In science, a lack of replication shouldn’t kill your reputation

    The proof is science is when a study is replicated. When it’s not, do scientists suffer? A new study says researchers may overestimate the negative effects.

  4. Psychology

    Caffeine gives cocaine an addictive boost

    Not only is it popular to “cut” cocaine with caffeine, the combination might be more addictive.

  5. Psychology

    No, cheese is not just like crack

    Recent news reports claimed that a study shows cheese is addictive. But the facts behind the research show cheese and crack have little in common.

  6. Psychology

    Views on bias can be biased

    When presented with a study showing bias against women, male scientists are more inclined to nitpick the results. But a little intervention can go a long way toward gender equality in science.

  7. Neuroscience

    That familiar feeling comes from deep in the brain

    Knowing what’s new and what we’ve seen before is at the base of memory. A new study shows that with a flash of light, scientists can change the firing of brain cells, and make the old new again.

  8. Tech

    Early satellite TV predictions highlighted instant communication potential

    Satellite communication started as science fiction but soon became reality.

  9. Neuroscience

    How a fat hormone might make us born to run

    Many runners finish long races in a euphoric mood. The underpinnings of this runner’s high may involve many chemicals, including the fat hormone leptin.

  10. Health & Medicine

    With flibanserin approval, a complicated drug takes the spotlight

    The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to increase women’s sexual desire. But whether the benefits outweigh the side effects depends on who you ask.

  11. Neuroscience

    The need to feed and eating for pleasure are inextricably linked

    Scientists used to think that the hunger and the pleasure from food could be easily distinguished. But new results show these systems are inextricably intertwined.

  12. Animals

    ‘Prehistoric Predators’ is a carnival of ancient dinosaurs, mammals and more

    A new children’s book offers gorgeous illustrations and information for everyone about ancient carnivores.