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. Astronomy

    A rare, extremely energetic cosmic ray has mysterious origins

    In 1991, physicists spotted a cosmic ray with so much energy it warranted an ‘OMG.’ Now that energetic particle has a new companion.

  2. Physics

    Light, not just heat, might spur water to evaporate

    In experiments, light shining on water as much as doubled the evaporation rate expected from heat alone, hinting at a never-before-seen effect.

  3. Physics

    A controversial room-temperature superconductor result has now been retracted 

    The retraction by Nature is the third for beleaguered physicist Ranga Dias, who still stands by his claim of a room-temperature superconductor.

  4. Physics

    Tiny accelerators get electrons up to speed using lasers

    In a first, chip-scale accelerators revved up electrons while also confining them into a beam.

  5. Math

    An enduring Möbius strip mystery has finally been solved

    Playing with paper and scissors helped one mathematician figure out just how short the twisted loops can be.

  6. Physics

    Technique to see the ultrafast world of electrons wins 2023 physics Nobel

    Physicists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier won for work creating light bursts that last billionths of a billionth of a second.

  7. Physics

    50 years ago, scientists dreamed of lasers that could kick off nuclear fusion

    In the 1970s, lasers that could initiate nuclear fusion were a distant dream. Now, scientists are using such lasers to achieve fusion “ignition.”

  8. Antimatter falls like matter, upholding Einstein’s theory of gravity

    In a first, scientists dropped antihydrogen atoms and measured how they fell.

  9. Astronomy

    Astronomers call for renaming the Magellanic Clouds

    Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is not a fitting namesake for the pair of satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, a group of scientists argues.

  10. Physics

    A laser gyroscope measured tiny variations in the lengths of days on Earth

    An underground gyroscope known as ‘G’ uses laser beams traveling in opposite directions to precisely measure Earth’s rotation.

  11. Physics

    Scientists have two ways to spot gravitational waves. Here are some other ideas

    From lasers in space to falling atoms on Earth, researchers are cooking up ways to sense gravitational waves that current methods can’t detect.

  12. Physics

    Superconductor research surges forward despite controversy over stunning claims

    After retractions from Ranga Dias’ group, high-pressure physicists are feeling the squeeze, fearing the controversy will tarnish other research.