A portrait of Lily Burton.

Lily Burton

Lily Burton is the Spring 2026 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and Anthropology from UC Berkeley. She also has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Chicago where she researched circadian rhythms in photosynthetic bacteria and the role they play in metabolism. She was a 2024 AAAS Mass Media Fellow where she reported on local science at WUNC – North Carolina Public Radio.

All Stories by Lily Burton

  1. Animals

    Watch the first video of a sperm whale birth captured by scientists

    In a sperm whale birth recorded in more intimate detail than ever before, local whales huddled around the mother and lifted the calf to the surface.

  2. Health & Medicine

    AI may be giving teens bad nutrition advice

    AI-generated meal plans for fictional teens cut an entire meal’s worth of calories and carbs while overemphasizing protein and fats, a new study reports.

  3. Plants

    Tree tops sparkle with electricity during thunderstorms

    Ultraviolet cameras captured faint electrical flashes from leaves and branches as storm charges built up in the atmosphere.

  4. Neuroscience

    Why is math harder for some kids? Brain scans offer clues

    Kids with math learning disabilities process number symbols differently than quantities shown as dots — and it shows up in MRIs.