Laurel Hamers

Laurel Hamers was the general assignment reporter at Science News.

All Stories by Laurel Hamers

  1. Paleontology

    Why the turtle got its shell

    Fossil evidence suggests that turtles’ ancestors started to form precursors to today’s shells to help them dig, not to protect themselves.

  2. Life

    When mouth microbes pal up, infection ensues

    A common and usually harmless species of mouth bacteria can help harmful bacteria become more powerful by providing oxygen.

  3. Animals

    To zip through water, swordfish reduce drag

    A newly discovered oil-producing organ inside the swordfish’s head gives the animal slick skin to swim faster.

  4. Animals

    Frigate birds fly nonstop for months

    The great frigate bird can fly for up to two months without landing, thanks to a boost from wind and clouds.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Tight spaces cause spreading cancer cells to divide improperly

    Researchers are using rolled-up transparent nanomembranes to mimic tiny blood vessels and study how cancer cells divide in these tight spaces.

  6. Life

    Scientists find clue to why mitochondrial DNA comes only from mom

    Scientists have identified a protein that chops up the mitochondrial DNA in a dad’s sperm after it fertilizes an egg. The finding helps explain why mitochondrial DNA is usually passed on only by mothers.

  7. Neuroscience

    Cocaine addicts can’t kick other habits either

    Habitual users tend to get stuck in nondrug-related habits more easily, too, pointing to a potential strategy for treatment