Manifesto of a Wasp Scientist

for The Last Word on Nothing

All characters in this essay are fictional and should not be confused with real scientists. I ask that no bee researcher take offense.

Gods of Blood And Stone

for Scientific American
Published: July 2014


Long cloaked in mystery, the ancient Teotihuacán culture is at last giving up its secrets.

A Bookseller And His Well

for The Last Word on Nothing

A tale of Francis “Steve” Stephenson, who owned a small bookstore in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And the hundreds of lives he saved.

On Call in the Wild

for Discover
Published: April 2014


Wilderness physician Matt Lewin has traveled to the nether reaches of the planet to treat scientists in the field.

Why can’t mexico make science pay off?

for Scientific American
Published: October 2013


The nation is poised to explode into the information economy— and yet stubbornly refuses to do so

Are Dolphins Not as Smart as We Thought?

for Discover Crux Blog
Published: October 2013


In Douglas Adams’s hilarious classic, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there are several animals said to be cleverer than humans.

An Open Letter to Yosemite National Park

for The Last Word on Nothing

A national park in crisis, a crippling disease, and a yappy little dog.

Cocaine Is Evil

for Slate
Published: December 2013


The gruesomeness of the drug trade rivals any atrocities in history.

Pictures and Prose: When photographers and writers work together

for The Open Notebook

I ask a roundtable of writers, editors and photographers to discuss the value of teaming up and how they make it work.