Paleo Sleuth

for Howard Hughes Medical Institute

An insatiable curiosity has led paleontologist Julia Clarke to far-flung regions - and to far-ranging collaborations

Is There Such A Thing As Extinction Proof?

for The Last Word on Nothing

Last year, I reported a story about sharks disappearing in the Sea of Cortez. The story deals with one little spot near the bottom of the Baja Peninsula called El Bajo. El Bajo is famous for two things, I suppose. One, it’s the site where scientists discovered a now-famous behavior …

Why Archeologists Hate Indiana Jones

for Last Word on Nothing
Published: September 9, 2014

Blog post questioning the professional ethics of Indiana Jones.

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.

Searching for the World’s Worst Glass of Water

for The Last Word on Nothing

It takes a few days to adjust to life at 13,300 feet in Potosi, Bolivia. As soon as I touched down in the tiny airport, I remembered the time I climbed Mt. Whitney and got desperately sick in camp at 13,000 feet. Whitney is the highest point in the lower …