Lauren J. Young
Popular Science
New York, NY, United States
Contact Lauren
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Past articles by Lauren:
4 reasons to put down the cotton swab and love your earwax
Hear us out. You might be obsessed with digging out the flaky to syrupy stuff, but your earwax helps keep your ear holes healthy. → Read More
Plastic microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea are keeping bacteria afloat
A study concentrated on the northwestern Mediterranean Sea found harmful bacteria on plastic microfibers, a common ocean pollutant. → Read More
Bees can sense a flower’s electric field—unless fertilizer messes with the buzz
A new study finds that synthetic fertilizer sprays alter the electric field of flowers, causing bumblebees to avoid them. → Read More
Termites work through wood faster when it’s hotter out
In warmer environments, these tiny insects are breaking down wood at a rate four times greater than microbial decomposers. → Read More
These fungi demand more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes
In a social media experiment, a mycologist brewed special batches of the autumnal beverage to see how fungi species would grow. → Read More
Jumping spiders might be able to sleep—perchance to dream
While in a deep REM sleep-like state, jumping spiders stretch and twitch in a similar fashion to how we snooze and dream. → Read More
Human eggs have a ‘standby battery mode’ that allows them to last decades
Human oocytes can last for up to 50 years—and a newly discovered metabolic pathway is key to this longevity. → Read More
Macro portraits reveal the glamor and peril of endangered insects
In a new exhibit, photographer Levon Biss captures the exquisite majesty of bugs and the pressures that threaten them. → Read More
The mites that breed on our faces are getting clingier by the day
Tiny face mites are already clingy to skin pores, but extensive genome reduction could make them even more dependent on humans. → Read More
Satellite images of Las Vegas show just how extreme urban heat islands can get
During this week's heat dome, the pavement in Las Vegas got up to 122 degrees. NASA satellite images show the effect, → Read More
Biohacked cyborg plants may help prevent environmental disaster
What are cyborg plants and how do they sense pollution? This biohacked flora glows when sensing metal toxins and sucks them up. → Read More
These male spiders fling into the air to escape post-coital cannibalism
Arachnologists witness male spiders of the species Philoponella prominens escape sexual cannibalism by catapulting off females after mating. → Read More
Tardigrades go where the slime takes them
A new experiment looks to tackle the mystery of how tardigrades move so far and wide on microscopic limbs. → Read More
Neptune is already an ice giant, but it might be having a cold snap
A new survey of thermal images reveals that atmospheric temperatures on the ice giant might fluctuate more rapidly than previously thought. → Read More
Dogs know exactly what they’re doing when they give you the ‘puppy eyes’
The centuries-old bond between people and dogs has shaped canine evolution—from bark to adorable expressions. → Read More
COVID relief funds are drying up—and so are free tests and treatments
Congress has not renewed COVID relief funds, which means free tests, vaccines, and boosters are running out for uninsured Americans. → Read More
This cone snail’s deadly venom could hold the key to better pain meds
Marine cone snails are known for their deadly venom, but this toxic cocktail has compounds that can help develop non-opioid painkillers. → Read More
The march of the penguins has a new star: an autonomous robot
An autonomous vehicle called ECHO is monitoring Emperor penguin colonies to assess the impacts of climate change on Antarctic's ecosystems. → Read More
Happy Mars-iversary, Perseverance
The Perseverance rover has drilled into Mars rocks and dirt, created oxygen, flown a helicopter—and is still trucking along on its mission to find microbial life. → Read More
This new synthetic tooth enamel is even harder than the real thing
Engineers from the US and China made artificial tooth enamel that's even harder than the material in people's mouths—a feat that dental researchers have been chasing for many years. → Read More