KELLY SERVICK
I'm a science writing grad student with a cognitive science background, but sharing the stories behind new discoveries excites me most.
Portfolio
Joining Forces: Astrophysicist and writer explore the cosmos together
“For every type of particle in the universe, there is a partner particle. It has a different spin, but interacts similarly with the particles around it. For Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams, the theory of supersymmetry isn’t a bad analogy for marriage.”
Read it at the Santa Cruz Sentinel
Coughing scallops
caught on tape
“When scallops cough, scientists should listen. A scallop “coughs” to expel feces and water from its central cavity; the friction between the mollusk’s two valves makes a sharp crack, followed by a drawn-out puffing noise as the valves quickly close.”
Stanford’s touch-sensitive plastic skin heals itself
“Nobody knows the remarkable properties of human skin like the researchers struggling to emulate it. Not only is our skin sensitive – sending the brain precise information about pressure and temperature – but it also heals efficiently to preserve a protective barrier against the world.”
Read it at Stanford Engineering
Clever crows may grasp hidden causes
“Crows may be imagining more than we imagined. New research suggests certain crows make decisions based on factors they can’t see. A recent study published in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS) deepens our understanding of these crafty corvids, and could help explain how human reasoning evolved.”
Read it at Mongabay.com
Engineers go lean and green
“The effort to be a ‘green’ consumer in America means wading through overwhelming choices. Elsewhere, choices usually aren’t the problem. An estimated 300 million people in India, for example, have no access to electricity in the first place. When it comes to sustainability, the choice is much simpler: burn dirty fuel sources like kerosene, or live in the dark.”
Optogenetics illuminates pathways of motivation through brain
“Whether you are an apple tree or an antelope, survival depends on using your energy efficiently. In a difficult or dangerous situation, the key question is whether exerting effort—sending out roots in search of nutrients in a drought or running at top speed from a predator—will be worth the energy.”
Read it at Stanford School of Medicine
Ground under ancient Chilean volcano is rising fast
“The Laguna del Maule volcanic field in the Chilean Andes Mountains lies in the heart of volcano country. The region is a well-known subduction zone, where the friction of one crustal plate sliding under another heats rock to form magma. But for the last 2,000 years, Laguna del Maule has been a quiet water-filled caldera.”
Other published work:
Stanford Engineering:
- A leap forward in brain-controlled computer cursors November 2012
- Optogenetics illuminates pathways of motivation through the brain, study shows November 2012
- How “black swans” and “perfect storms” become excuses for poor risk management November 2012
- Stanford’s touch-sensitive plastic skin heals itself November 2012
- Stanford’s Global Climate and Energy Project turns 10 October 2012
- Scratching the surface: Stanford engineers study the effects of UV radiation on skin mechanics October 2012
Mongabay.com
- Clever crows may grasp hidden causes November 15, 2012
Out of the Fog (class blog)
- Scientists say: play with your food November 9, 2012
AGU “Plainspoken Scientist” blog
- Alan Alda says science and romance aren’t so different November 12, 2012
