Jonathan Lambert

Staff Writer, Biological Sciences, 2019-2021

Jonathan Lambert was a staff writer covering biological sciences at Science News from 2019 to 2021. He earned a master’s degree from Cornell University studying how a bizarre day-long mating ritual helped accelerate speciation in a group of Hawaiian crickets. A summer at the Dallas Morning News as a AAAS Mass Media fellow sparked a pivot from biologist to science journalist. He previously wrote for Quanta Magazine, NPR, and Nature News.

All Stories by Jonathan Lambert

  1. Health & Medicine

    Infecting people with COVID-19 could speed vaccine trials. Is it worth it?

    To accelerate vaccine development, some experts argue we should purposefully infect volunteers with the coronavirus. Others warn of the risks.

  2. Earth

    Deadly temperatures expected to arrive later this century are already here

    Temperatures near humans’ physiological limit have doubled in frequency since 1979, exposing millions of people to dangerously hot and humid conditions.

  3. Health & Medicine

    To end social distancing, the U.S. must dramatically ramp up contact tracing

    Life after social distancing may involve apps that ask you to self-isolate after you’ve been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

  4. Life

    How much space does nature need? 30 percent of the planet may not be enough

    Nations are drafting a plan to protect 30 percent of Earth by 2030 to save biodiversity. The number reflects politics more than scientific consensus.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Warm weather probably won’t slow COVID-19 transmission much

    While some evidence has suggested higher temperatures can affect coronavirus transmission, summer’s arrival probably won’t curb the pandemic much.

  6. Health & Medicine

    When will the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing end?

    Social distancing may have to continue for months to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19. Wider testing and isolation of cases could ease such measures.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Social distancing, not travel bans, is crucial to limiting coronavirus’ spread

    Everything from waving hello instead of shaking hands to cancelling large gatherings of people will help slow the spread of COVID-19.

  8. Health & Medicine

    What WHO calling the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic means

    The world’s top global health organization is asking countries to double down on efforts to both contain the virus and mitigate its impact.

  9. Animals

    Sea turtles may confuse the smell of ocean plastic with food

    Sea turtles respond to the smell of plastic that’s been in the ocean similarly to food, suggesting the reptiles may end up eating the harmful debris.

  10. Health & Medicine

    A more convenient, monthly treatment for HIV cleared a key hurdle

    Two phase III clinical trials suggest that a once-a-month injection of antiretroviral drugs treats HIV just as well as daily pill regimes.

  11. Space

    50 years ago, scientists were studying why the sun’s corona is so hot

    In 1970, scientists were hoping to learn why the sun’s corona is so hot during an eclipse. Fifty years later, the corona’s magnetic field may hold some answers.

  12. Health & Medicine

    We may be on the brink of a coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what that means

    The coronavirus behind COVID-19 has not yet reached pandemic status, according the WHO, but we could be close.