Jonathan Lambert

Staff Writer, Biological Sciences, 2019-2021

Jonathan Lambert was a staff writer covering biological sciences at Science News from 2019 to 2021. He earned a master’s degree from Cornell University studying how a bizarre day-long mating ritual helped accelerate speciation in a group of Hawaiian crickets. A summer at the Dallas Morning News as a AAAS Mass Media fellow sparked a pivot from biologist to science journalist. He previously wrote for Quanta Magazine, NPR, and Nature News.

All Stories by Jonathan Lambert

  1. Science & Society

    The U.S. largely wasted time bought by COVID-19 lockdowns. Now what?

    As states reopen, most don’t have adequate systems in place to test, trace and isolate new COVID-19 cases, setting the stage for future outbreaks.

  2. 50 years ago, scientists first investigated antibiotic resistance in livestock

    In 1970, scientists began investigating the effects of feeding antibiotics to livestock. 50 years later, we know it can be harmful for humans.

  3. Ecosystems

    Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone

    Benefits of reintroducing sea otters in the Pacific Northwest, such as boosting tourism, vastly outweigh the costs, a new analysis shows.

  4. Health & Medicine

    No, you can’t hear the difference between sick and healthy coughs

    A study shows humans can’t distinguish between the sound of a cough from someone with an infectious disease and someone with a tickle in the throat.

  5. Science & Society

    A #BlackBirdersWeek cofounder aims to amplify black nature enthusiasts

    Wildlife biologist Danielle Belleny hopes the social media campaign represents black birders and nature enthusiasts of color in a hobby often stereotyped as white.

  6. Life

    These tube-shaped creatures may be the earliest known parasites

    Fossils from over 500 million years ago might be the first known example of parasitism in the fossil record, though the evidence isn’t conclusive.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Infecting people with COVID-19 could speed vaccine trials. Is it worth it?

    To accelerate vaccine development, some experts argue we should purposefully infect volunteers with the coronavirus. Others warn of the risks.

  8. Earth

    Deadly temperatures expected to arrive later this century are already here

    Temperatures near humans’ physiological limit have doubled in frequency since 1979, exposing millions of people to dangerously hot and humid conditions.

  9. Health & Medicine

    To end social distancing, the U.S. must dramatically ramp up contact tracing

    Life after social distancing may involve apps that ask you to self-isolate after you’ve been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

  10. Life

    How much space does nature need? 30 percent of the planet may not be enough

    Nations are drafting a plan to protect 30 percent of Earth by 2030 to save biodiversity. The number reflects politics more than scientific consensus.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Warm weather probably won’t slow COVID-19 transmission much

    While some evidence has suggested higher temperatures can affect coronavirus transmission, summer’s arrival probably won’t curb the pandemic much.

  12. Health & Medicine

    When will the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing end?

    Social distancing may have to continue for months to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19. Wider testing and isolation of cases could ease such measures.