How Fireflies Are Keeping This Tiny Mexican Town Alive

for National Geographic

Published: August 24, 2017

In Nanacamilpa, a magical display of fireflies is attracting tourists by the thousands—now locals wonder how they can sustain the insect that brought them so much prosperity.

Dinner Guide to Saving the Ocean

for The Last Word on Nothing

I am that guy.
You know the one. When the waiter comes to the table to give the specials, I’m the one who needs to know where the snapper’s from, how the swordfish was caught, and whether the salmon is farm-raised. My brother generally starts apologizing for me as soon as I open my …

Why the Mexico City Earthquake Shook Up Disaster Predictions

for Scientific American

Published: September 21, 2017

Tuesday’s deadly quake did not come from the place many geologists thought would unleash the next “big one.”

Homo Oceanus


Water is fundamental for life: does the human brain have a special placeholder for it?

Mexico City quake: A few seconds’ warning can still save lives

for New Scientist
Last week’s magnitude 7.1 quake caught me, and everyone in Mexico City, by surprise. We are used to getting lots of warning before an earthquake – and this time, we didn’t.

The Big Splash

for San Francisco
Published: October 2009

A 2009 Q&A for San Francisco Magazine about the math behind rogue waves.

Photo Essay: Geopolitical pawns, the fishermen of Lý Sơn, Vietnam

for Mongabay
Published: April 17, 2015

Vietnamese fisherman caught between massive political and environmental forces.

An Homage to Teotihuacan

for Sapiens

Published: July 5, 2018

One modern Mexican artist is making souvenirs that shed light on the ancient peoples of this city and continue their aesthetic traditions.

Birth Of The World’s First Underwater Museum

for The Last Word on Nothing
Published: September 2013

A few months ago, I got my dream assignment. Well, okay, it wasn’t really an assignment – I cajoled an editor into letting me write about Cancun’s famous underwater museum, Museo Subacuatico de Arte, or MUSA.