Bethany Brookshire

Bethany Brookshire was the staff writer at Science News for Students from 2013 to 2021. She has a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy from The College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is also a host on the podcast Science for the People, and a 2019-2020 MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.

All Stories by Bethany Brookshire

  1. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, methadone made a rosy debut

    Heralded as the “answer to heroin addiction,” methadone is still used to treat opiate addiction, despite risks.

  2. Neuroscience

    How scientists are hunting for a safer opioid painkiller

    Scientists are sorting through chemical structures, twisting and turning known drugs and exploring new ways to ease pain.

  3. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, fluoridation was promoted as a bone protector

    In 1966, scientists hoped fluoride might protect adult bone health. While the results broke down over time, the benefits for teeth remain clear.

  4. Science & Society

    Why people don’t vote, and what to do about it

    The United States has terrible voter turnout. Political scientists have studied why people don’t vote and some effective ways to improve voter participation.

  5. Science & Society

    Blame bad incentives for bad science

    Scientists have to publish a constant stream of new results to succeed. But in the process, their success may lead to science’s failure, two new studies warn.

  6. Genetics

    How gene editing is changing what a lab animal looks like

    What makes a good animal model? New techniques bring opportunities and challenges to model organisms.

  7. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, noise was a nuisance (it still is)

    In 1966, scientists warned of the physical and psychological dangers of a louder world.

  8. Oceans

    50 years ago, humans could pick the oceans clean

    Scientists have long recognized that we might overfish the oceans. Despite quotas, some species are paying the price of human appetite.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Exercise helps you get in shape for old age

    Exercise can fend off the effects of aging on the body and brain.

  10. Science & Society

    Empathy for animals is all about us

    We extend our feelings to what we think animals are feeling. Often, we’re wrong. But anthropomorphizing isn’t about them. It’s about us.

  11. Life

    Women in sports are often underrepresented in science

    More and more women are taking up recreational and competitive sports. But when it comes to exercise science, the studies don’t reflect that trend.

  12. Life

    Uncertainty is stressful, but that’s not always a bad thing

    Life is full of stressful, ambiguous situations. But a new study shows that the ones we can predict stress us out less, and may even help us learn.