Nancy Shute

Editor in Chief

Nancy Shute joined the staff in February 2018 as the editor in chief of Science News. Shute is a science journalist in print, digital and broadcast, and a lecturer and trainer in science writing and multimedia journalism.  She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers, the United States’ largest and oldest science writing membership organization. Before joining Science News, Shute was cohost of NPR’s health blog, Shots, and contributed news coverage and radio features to NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition.  She also has written for national publications, including National Geographic and Scientific American. While serving as assistant managing editor at U.S. News & World Report, Shute led the magazine’s award-winning coverage of science and technology.  As a senior writer for U.S. News, she led group investigations and reporting projects, and authored dozens of cover stories. Shute trains journalists and scientists in the uses of social media and other new media technologies. She taught science writing at Johns Hopkins University’s Advanced Academic Programs. Additionally, Shute has been a science writer in residence at the University of Wisconsin, and guest lecturer at major universities, including Columbia, NYU, the University of Maryland, Georgetown and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

All Stories by Nancy Shute

  1. Here comes the sun, the eclipsed version

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute muses on the total solar eclipse that will cross North America in April 2024.

  2. Come along with us on a mathematical mystery tour

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses an unexpected breakthrough on a puzzle that has intrigued mathematicians for almost a century.

  3. Using public health research to save lives

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how overdose prevention centers, where people can use drugs in a supervised setting, are saving lives.

  4. What a parrot knows, and what a chatbot doesn’t

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses AI chatbots' vulnerabilities and the intelligence of parrots.

  5. Bringing scientists’ stories out of the shadows

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute spotlights scientist Emma Rotor's contributions to weapons research in World War II.

  6. Under the jungle, a more pluralistic Maya society

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how new scientific discoveries are rewriting the history of Maya society

  7. The early women who shaped science journalism

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the pioneering women who helped create and transform science journalism.

  8. The challenges of seeing the profusion of tiny life

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute marvels at the diversity of tiny life-forms known as protists.

  9. Reimagining electricity as a depression treatment

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the use of deep brain stimulation to treat severe depression.

  10. Sewers provide solutions to public health data gaps

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how scientists are looking to wastewater to track COVID-19 and other diseases.

  11. A key technology could transform the power grid

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses ways to upgrade power grids to be more climate friendly.

  12. Extreme weather threatens human health worldwide

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how extreme heat waves and wildfires are harming human health around the world.