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. Materials Science

    Graphene Silly Putty detects pitter-patter of spider footsteps

    Sensor made of graphene and Silly Putty can detect pulse, breathing — and spider feet.

  2. Life

    Bird plus goggles equals new insight into flight physics

    Slow-flying parrotlet produces vortices that explosively break up.

  3. Quantum Physics

    Cosmic test confirms quantum weirdness

    Physicists used starlight to perform a cosmic Bell test.

  4. Physics

    Despite lack of free electrons, bismuth superconducts

    Bismuth conducts electricity with no resistance at temperatures near absolute zero, despite lack of mobile electrons.

  5. Chemistry

    Names for four new elements get seal of approval

    The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has approved the proposed names for the four elements added to the periodic table in December 2015.

  6. Chemistry

    Names for four new elements get seal of approval

    The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has approved the proposed names for the four elements added to the periodic table in December 2015.

  7. Life

    Blue leaves help begonias harvest energy in low light

    The iridescent color of some begonias comes from tiny structures that also help the plant convert dim light into energy.

  8. Earth

    50 years ago, nuclear blasting for gas boomed. Today it’s a bust.

    50 years ago, scientists made plans to use nuclear explosions to extract natural gas from underground. In one such experiment, the gas was released but turned out to be radioactive.

  9. Physics

    Whirlpools might have stirred up baby universe’s soup

    Vortices appear in the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions.

  10. Particle Physics

    New analysis boosts case for smaller proton

    Electron scattering data hint at a slightly smaller proton radius.

  11. Physics

    ‘Void’ dives into physics of nothingness

    In modern physics, emptiness is elusive and difficult to define, a new book shows.

  12. Physics

    Supersolids produced in exotic state of quantum matter

    Bose-Einstein condensates display properties of liquid and solid simultaneously.