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. Animals

    A little snake’s big gulp may put all other snakes to shame

    The humble Gans’ egg-eater can wrap its mouth around bigger prey than any other snake of its size.

  2. Neuroscience

    Here’s what lucid dreamers might tell us about our sleeping minds

    Lucid dreaming could prove to be a powerful tool for probing dreams, one of the most universal yet elusive human experiences.

  3. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, enzyme injections showed promise for treating a rare disease

    Enzyme replacement can offer relief to people with rare diseases. Now, scientists have found a way to treat one disease before a person is even born.

  4. Animals

    Northern elephant seals sleep just two hours a day at sea

    The marine mammals have truly awesome stamina for staying awake, sleeping only minutes at a time on months-long trips at sea.

  5. Planetary Science

    Venus has almost 50 times as many volcanoes as previously thought

    Where are there NOT volcanoes on Venus? A new map of the planet unveils a veritable volcanic bonanza.

  6. Humans

    50 years ago, scientists debated when humans first set foot in North America

    In 1973, archaeologists debated when people first arrived in the Americas. Mounting evidence suggests its much earlier than they thought.

  7. Physics

    A powerful laser can redirect lightning strikes

    In a mountaintop experiment, a laser beamed into the sky created a virtual lightning rod that snagged several bolts before they hit the ground.

  8. Archaeology

    50 years ago, Stonehenge’s purpose mystified scientists. It still does

    In 1972, scientists thought Stonehenge may have been a calendar. Today, we still don’t know its purpose, but we have gained insight on its origin.

  9. Animals

    Bizarre aye-aye primates take nose picking to the extreme

    A nose-picking aye-aye’s spindly middle finger probably reaches all the way to the back of the throat, CT scans suggest.

  10. Planetary Science

    NASA’s DART spacecraft just smashed into an asteroid — on purpose

    If the first-ever attempt to knock a space rock off course works, it could provide a blueprint to protect Earth from a killer asteroid.

  11. Particle Physics

    50 years ago, physicists got a whiff of what glues together protons

    In 1972, particle smashups hinted at the gluon, which we now know not only holds together the innards of the proton, but also makes up more than a third of its mass.

  12. Paleontology

    Living fast may have helped mammals like ‘ManBearPig’ dominate

    Staying in the womb for a while but being born ready to rock may have helped post-dinosaur mammals take over the planet.