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. Physics

    Neutron star collisions probably make more gold than other cosmic smashups

    Smashups of two neutron stars produce more heavy elements than when a black hole swallows a neutron star, calculations suggest.

  2. Space

    A rush to watch a supernova exposed its last gasp before exploding

    By studying the final years of stars, scientists hope to find clues to help them recognize when other stars are about to blow.

  3. Particle Physics

    Doubt cast on theorized ‘sterile’ particles leaves a neutrino mystery unsolved

    MicroBooNE weakens the case for sterile neutrinos, but the mystery that shrouded earlier neutrino experiments remains.

  4. Physics

    Here’s the physics of why ducklings swim in a row behind their mother

    By paddling in just the right spots, ducklings save energy by surfing their mom’s waves, and pass along the benefit to siblings down the line.

  5. Physics

    An atomic clock measured how general relativity warps time across a millimeter

    A record-breaking result reveals the precision achievable by atomic clocks, letting researchers detect slightly faster ticking over a tiny height change.

  6. Physics

    Work on complex systems, including Earth’s climate, wins the physics Nobel Prize

    Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann pioneered work on computer simulations of Earth’s climate. Giorgio Parisi found hidden patterns in disordered complex materials.

  7. Quantum Physics

    Scientists are one step closer to error-correcting quantum computers

    In a quantum computer made with trapped ions, multiple quantum bits were combined into one to detect mistakes.

  8. Physics

    Whirling maple seeds inspired these tiny flying sensors

    Scientists envision that small objects modeled after maple tree whirligigs could be used to monitor the environment.

  9. Quantum Physics

    One of nature’s key constants is much larger in a quantum material

    The fine-structure constant is 10 times its normal value in the material, giving a peek into what physics in an alternate universe could look like.

  10. Physics

    New ‘vortex beams’ of atoms and molecules are the first of their kind

    Twisted beams of atoms and molecules join other types of corkscrew beams made of light or electrons.

  11. Physics

    Physicists caught protons ‘surfing’ on shock waves

    A laser experiment could help scientists understand how protons reach high energies traveling through the cosmos.

  12. Physics

    With a powerful laser blast, scientists near a nuclear fusion milestone

    A National Ignition Facility experiment spawned nuclear fusion reactions that released nearly as much energy as was used to ignite them.