Janet Raloff

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).

All Stories by Janet Raloff

  1. Health & Medicine

    A Faulty Eye Witness, Part I

    Oliver Sacks shared observations from his latest journal on how losing sight in one eye changed a man's life. Sacks had intimate knowledge of every detail – because he’s the patient.

  2. Chemistry

    Deciding Who’s First

    Oxygen serves as the focus of who to credit with a discovery – and why.

  3. Humans

    Son of Furby

    How Star Wars' robots catalyzed an MIT program to build companionable robots.

  4. Agriculture

    Vertical Agriculture

    Instead of farming in the country, one Columbia University scientist would do it in the city, spanning floor upon floor of buildings--from basements to the tops of high rise structures.

  5. Earth

    Political Science

    New York's mayor argues that science should not only inform action, but also prod it.

  6. Humans

    The Color of Science and Its Recorders

    A very impressive group of science luminaries – including 10 Nobel laureates — turned up to kick around ideas and observations at today’s inaugural World Science Summit. And then there was this morning’s master of ceremonies: Alan Alda, an actor who clearly loves science and scientists. The real disappointment for me was who didn’t show […]

  7. Chemistry

    Kavli Awardees Named

    Norwegian Academy awards three novel and hefty prizes to three teams of scientists.

  8. Humans

    Impoverished Science

    Most people believe science and engineering would be better off – richer – if blacks, Hispanics, and native Americans weren’t such bit players in the research world. The question is why these groups have traditionally been so underrepresented. A new analysis points to low family income as a hefty contributor. Kathryn Kailikole, director of the […]

  9. Earth

    Audubon’s insect cafeteria

    Sidebar: Insects.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Insects (the original white meat)

    Dining on insects, usually more by choice than necessity, occurs in at least 100 countries — and may be better than chicken for both people and the environment.

  11. Animals

    Pandamonium over a Tiny Pest

    A parasite threatens efforts to protect China's endangered icon.

  12. Earth

    Asbestos-like nanotubes

    Some carbon nanotubes show signs of asbestos-like toxicity.