Physics writer Emily Conover joined Science News in 2016. She has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago, where she studied the weird ways of neutrinos, tiny elementary particles that can zip straight through the Earth. She got her first taste of science writing as a AAAS Mass Media Fellow for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She has previously written for Science Magazine and the American Physical Society. She is a two-time winner of the D.C. Science Writers’ Association Newsbrief award.

All Stories by Emily Conover

  1. Quantum Physics

    LIGO will be getting a quantum upgrade

    Quantum squeezing of light will help scientists make better gravitational wave detectors.

  2. Earth

    Muons reveal the whopping voltages inside a thunderstorm

    Particle physics sheds new light on the electric potential of thunderstorms.

  3. Quantum Physics

    Photons reveal a weird effect called the quantum pigeonhole paradox

    Quantum particles seem to disobey a fundamental principle of mathematics.

  4. Astronomy

    Ultima Thule is shaped like two lumpy pancakes

    Scientists are rethinking the shape of the space rock, once thought to be a snowman.

  5. Physics

    Laser light can contain intricate, beautiful fractals

    Fractals show up in cauliflower, seashells and now — lasers.

  6. Physics

    Lasers could send messages right to a listener’s ear

    Communication in noisy environments or dangerous situations could one day rely on lasers.

  7. Physics

    Physicists aim to outdo the LHC with this wish list of particle colliders

    Proposed new accelerators could solve mysteries of the Higgs boson.

  8. Physics

    A new gravitational wave detector is almost ready to join the search

    Buried deep underground, Japan’s KAGRA detector relies on components cooled to just 20 degrees above absolute zero.

  9. Physics

    A weird type of zirconium soaks up neutrons like a sponge

    Zirconium-88 captures neutrons with extreme efficiency, and scientists don’t yet know why.

  10. Physics

    High-speed video reveals physics tricks for shooting a rubber band

    To fire a rubber band flawlessly, use a wide band and don’t pull too hard, physicists suggest.

  11. Physics

    The physics of fluids explains how crowds of marathon runners move

    A new liquid-inspired theory can predict the movements of marathoners lining up for a race.

  12. Particle Physics

    Neutrino discovery launched a new type of astronomy

    Particles associated with a blazar kick-start the field of neutrino astronomy.