Laurel Hamers

Laurel Hamers was the general assignment reporter at Science News.

All Stories by Laurel Hamers

  1. Life

    Earwigs take origami to extremes to fold their wings

    Stretchy joints let earwig wings flip quickly between folded and unfurled.

  2. Planetary Science

    Some TRAPPIST-1 planets may be water worlds

    Two of TRAPPIST-1’s planets are half water and ice, which could hamper the search for life.

  3. Plants

    Liverwort reproductive organ inspires pipette design

    A new pipette is inspired by a plant’s female reproductive structure.

  4. Ecosystems

    When bogs burn, the environment takes a hit

    Bogs and other peatlands around the world store outsized amounts of carbon. Climate change and agriculture are putting them at risk.

  5. Ecosystems

    Pollution regulations help Chesapeake Bay seagrass rebound

    Regulations that have reduced nitrogen runoff into the Chesapeake Bay are driving the recovery of underwater vegetation.

  6. Life

    A rare rainstorm wakes undead microbes in Chile’s Atacama Desert

    Microbial life in Chile’s Atacama Desert bursts into bloom when moisture is available.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Global Virome Project is hunting for more than 1 million unknown viruses

    Scientists are searching for viruses lurking in animals that could threaten human health.

  8. Neuroscience

    Babies can recover language skills after a left-side stroke

    Very young babies who have strokes in the language centers of their brain can recover normal language function — in the other side of their brain.

  9. Chemistry

    Household products make surprisingly large contributions to air pollution

    A study of smog in the Los Angeles valley finds that paints, fragrances and other everyday items are a growing component of the problem.

  10. Animals

    Even after bedbugs are eradicated, their waste lingers

    Bedbug waste contains high levels of the allergy-triggering chemical histamine, which stays behind even after the insects are eradicated.

  11. Health & Medicine

    The small intestine, not the liver, is the first stop for processing fructose

    In mice, fructose gets processed in the small intestine before getting to the liver.

  12. Neuroscience

    A blood test could predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

    A blood test can predict the presence of an Alzheimer’s-related protein in the brain.