Maria Temming

Maria Temming

Assistant Managing Editor, Science News Explores

Previously the staff writer for physical sciences at Science News, Maria Temming is the assistant managing editor at Science News Explores. She has undergraduate degrees in physics and English from Elon University and a master's degree in science writing from MIT. She has written for Scientific AmericanSky & Telescope and NOVA Next. She’s also a former Science News intern.

All Stories by Maria Temming

  1. Artificial Intelligence

    Artificial intelligence is mastering a wider variety of jobs than ever before

    In 2018, AI bested humans at following fauna, diagnosing disease, mapping the moon and more.

  2. Astronomy

    50 years ago, astronauts orbited the moon for the first time

    Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, with three astronauts on board, making 10 revolutions around the moon — the first manned lunar orbits.

  3. Physics

    These sound waves can levitate and move particles in new ways

    A new machine that levitates objects using sound waves can manipulate several particles at once.

  4. Tech

    A new way to turn saltwater fresh can kill germs and avoid gunk buildup

    A new device that harnesses sunlight to produce pure vapor from seawater could last longer and produce cleaner water than other technology.

  5. Materials Science

    Magnets make a new soft metamaterial stiffen up in a flash

    Scientists can dial the stiffness of a bizarre new type of synthetic material up or down using magnets.

  6. Life

    These new tweezers let scientists do biopsies on living cells

    Nanotweezers that can pluck molecules from cells without killing them could enable real-time analysis of the insides of healthy and diseased cells.

  7. Health & Medicine

    A patch studded with tiny needles may help heart attack survivors recover

    A bandage that sticks to the surface of the heart exudes proteins and other molecules that help muscle cells grow.

  8. Tech

    How Twitter bots get people to spread fake news

    Automated bot accounts on Twitter help spread misinformation by strategically encouraging people to make it go viral.

  9. Microbes

    Mini ‘solar panels’ help yeast shine at churning out drug ingredients

    Microbes equipped with light-harvesting semiconductor particles generate useful chemicals much more efficiently than ordinary microbes.

  10. Chemistry

    These fragile, futuristic batteries run longer with a little oil

    A redesign for batteries that use aluminum and oxygen could help these inexpensive, lightweight power cells last longer.

  11. Computing

    Virtual avatars learned cartwheels and other stunts from videos of people

    A new computer system that lets animated characters learn acrobatic skills from videos could be a cheaper alternative to traditional motion capture.

  12. Physics

    Vanadium dioxide’s weird phase transition just got weirder

    When shifting from one crystalline structure to another, the atoms inside vanadium dioxide bumble around a lot more than expected.