Erika Engelhaupt

Erika Engelhaupt is a freelance science writer and editor based in Knoxville, Tenn. She began her blog, Gory Details, while she was an editor at Science News. She continues the blog at National Geographic, where she was online science editor and managed the Phenomena science blog network. Her work has also appeared at NPR, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Story Collider podcast, and in other newspapers and magazines.

All Stories by Erika Engelhaupt

  1. Plants

    ‘Slime’ shows how algae have shaped our climate, evolution and daily lives

    The new book ‘Slime’ makes the case that algae deserve to be celebrated.

  2. Animals

    If you want to believe your home’s bug free, don’t read this book

    ‘Never Home Alone’ reveals the hidden world living in human-made spaces.

  3. Animals

    Why humans, and Big Macs, depend on bees

    Thor Hanson, the author of Buzz, explains the vital role bees play in our world.

  4. Health & Medicine

    ‘Aroused’ recounts the fascinating history of hormones

    The new book "Aroused" demystifies hormones, the chemicals that put the zing into life.

  5. Psychology

    Gun owner or not, Americans agree on many ways to limit gun violence

    A new survey suggests that gun owners support many potential gun-control policies — now research on their efficacy needs to catch up.

  6. Climate

    Rising CO2 levels might not be as good for plants as we thought

    A 20-year experiment spots a reversal in the way two kinds of plants take up extra carbon from the atmosphere.

  7. Animals

    The truth about animals isn’t always pretty

    The Truth About Animals digs up surprising stories about sloths, pandas, penguins and other wildly misunderstood wildlife.

  8. Health & Medicine

    The science behind cancer warnings on coffee is murky at best

    The risks of acrylamide in coffee are not as clear as a California court ruling may suggest.

  9. Science & Society

    Kids are starting to picture scientists as women

    An analysis of studies asking kids to draw a scientist finds that the number of females drawn has increased over the last 50 years.

  10. Genetics

    The last wild horses aren’t truly wild

    The ancestor of today’s domesticated horses remains a mystery after a new analysis of ancient horse DNA.

  11. Genetics

    Genes could record forensic clues to time of death

    Scientists have found predictable patterns in the way our genetic machinery winds down after death.

  12. Science & Society

    ‘Death: A Graveside Companion’ offers an outlet for your morbid curiosity

    A coffee-table book explores how humans have tried to understand death through the ages.