Janet Raloff
Editor, Digital, Science News Explores
Editor Janet Raloff has been a part of the Science News Media Group since 1977. While a staff writer at Science News, she covered the environment, toxicology, energy, science policy, agriculture and nutrition. She was among the first to give national visibility to such issues as electromagnetic pulse weaponry and hormone-mimicking pollutants, and was the first anywhere to report on the widespread tainting of streams and groundwater sources with pharmaceuticals. A founding board member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, her writing has won awards from groups including the National Association of Science Writers. In July 2007, while still writing for Science News, Janet took over Science News Explores (then known as Science News for Kids) as a part-time responsibility. Over the next six years, she expanded the magazine's depth, breadth and publication cycle. Since 2013, she also oversaw an expansion of its staffing from three part-timers to a full-time staff of four and a freelance staff of some 35 other writers and editors. Before joining Science News, Janet was managing editor of Energy Research Reports (outside Boston), a staff writer at Chemistry (an American Chemical Society magazine) and a writer/editor for Chicago's Adler Planetarium. Initially an astronomy major, she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (with an elective major in physics).
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All Stories by Janet Raloff
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Climate
Eggs, Tea and Mr. IPCC
Even jet-lagged, the world's lead climate negotiator took time out to brief a few reporters.
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Climate
The News Climate
Whether people choose to peruse news — and where — may explain what role science plays in shaping public opinion on global warming.
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Climate
Glacier melts are erasing climate record
Featured blog: As glaciers continue to dry up, so does any hope of gleaning information from them about the past climate record.
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Astronomy
On that ‘earmark’ for my favorite science center
Featured blog: In the last debate, McCain denounced proposed federal spending on a multimillion dollar "overhead projector."
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Health & Medicine
Let’s Get Physical
The feds articulate how much exercise we should consider as healthy.
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Humans
Arctic warming chills interest in fishing
Featured blog: An October 7 accord could put U.S. Arctic waters off-limits to fishing.
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Health & Medicine
Smokers May Benefit from Red Wine
Smokers: Red wine may be the prescription for you.
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Chemistry
Trapping Compact Fluorescents’ Toxic Gas
New nanomaterials may offer a solution to mopping up a toxic pollutant associated with fluorescent lighting.
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Chemistry
Oops! A Fluorescent Light Breaks
Toxic mercury will be released whenever a fluorescent lamp breaks.
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Chemistry
Fluorescent bulbs offer mercury advantage
Featured blog: Switching to light bulbs that contain mercury might, surprisingly, reduce overall mercury releases to the environment. Plus, what to do when you break your fluorescent bulb.