Meghan Bartels is a science journalist based in New York City. She joined Scientific American in 2023 and is now a senior news reporter there. Previously, she spent more than four years as a writer and editor at Space.com, as well as nearly a year as a science reporter at Newsweek, where she focused on space and Earth science. Her writing has also appeared in Audubon, Nautilus, Astronomy and Smithsonian, among other publications. She attended Georgetown University and earned a master’s degree in journalism at New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.
6 Wild Things We Learned about Earth in 2024
It’s been a fascinating year in earth science—from mysterious “dark oxygen” to an “unidentified seismic object,” here are some incredible things we’ve learned about our planet in 2024
Navigating Threats to Birth Control and Abortion during Second Trump Term
When Roe v. Wade fell, interest in long-acting and permanent birth control rose. Here’s what to know as Trump returns to office
See How a Deadly Bird Flu Season Impacted Wildlife on Remote Antarctic Islands
Last year avian influenza brought death to the picturesque island of South Georgia off Antarctica. This season scientists hope things will be different
Nectar-Eating Wolves May Be Pollinating Flowers
There are fewer than 500 Ethiopian wolves, and they may be the first large carnivore known to act as a pollinator
What to Know about Walking Pneumonia in Kids
Milder cases of pneumonia, dubbed “walking pneumonia,” are on the rise in young children this year
How Humor Takes the Edge off Hard Times
When life feels difficult, humor can be a coping mechanism that relieves stress and offers the breathing room to keep going, scientists say
Election Grief Is Real. Here’s How to Cope
Understanding the psychology of ambiguous loss can help people struggling with grief and depression in the wake of the 2024 election results
Your 2024 Election Rundown, from Immigration to Education
The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election could set the climate agenda, reshape public education and shift the dynamics of global science collaboration.
The International Space Station Has Been Leaking for Five Years
Pesky leaks on the International Space Station aren’t the most serious issue facing U.S. human spaceflight
The Surprising Story of How Peaches Became an Icon of the U.S. Southeast
The Spanish brought peaches to the U.S., but Indigenous peoples spread the fruit across the eastern half of the U.S.
What Brilliant Fall Leaf Colors Tell Us about Tree Health and Climate
A tree’s fall palette offers a glimpse at its health and the weather it has experienced in a given year
Why Hurricane Milton Caused So Many Tornadoes
As Hurricane Milton barreled across Florida, it triggered dozens of tornadoes. Here’s how that process occurs
Hurricane Milton Slams into Florida, the Second Disastrous Storm in Two Weeks
Hurricane Milton hit Florida as a major storm, bringing devastating storm surge and rainfall to the state
Whooping Cough Is Spreading Again after Years of Relative Quiet
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is on the rise after a lull at the beginning of the COVID pandemic
How a Harris or Trump Presidency Could Affect Gun Policy
Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump offer starkly different responses to gun violence
The Science of Melting Cheese
Food science can explain why mozzarella melts like a dream while feta and ricotta don’t
Why Appalachia Flooded So Severely from Helene’s Remnants
Inland flooding from tropical cyclones, even at high altitudes, is a major worry—and one that scientists don’t know enough about
Here’s Why Birds Look So Goofy When They Run
Looking silly when they run saves birds energy—and some dinosaurs may have done the same
Has Stomping on Spotted Lanternflies Slowed Their Invasion?
Invasive spotted lanternflies are spreading across the metro areas of New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., despite professional and amateur attempts to reduce their numbers
Why Have Record-Breaking Rains Drenched the Carolinas and Europe?
On opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Central Europe and North Carolina have both been drenched by torrential rains
How a Zombie Law Could Ban Abortion Nationwide If Trump Is Reelected
Using the Comstock Act to nationally ban abortion would defy modern public opinion and the law’s historical interpretation, experts say
Atlantic Hurricane Lull Puzzles Scientists
Meteorologists predicted a busy Atlantic hurricane season—and a recent lull in activity doesn’t negate that
Do Cats Really Hate Water?
Not all cats are hydrophobic
This Ancient Sea Cow Was Killed by a Croc and Eaten by a Shark
Scientists re-create the last moments of a manateelike animal that was eaten by both a crocodilian and a shark