Laura Sanders

Laura Sanders

Senior Writer, Neuroscience

Laura Sanders reports on neuroscience for Science News. She wrote Growth Curve, a blog about the science of raising kids, from 2013 to 2019 and continues to write about child development and parenting from time to time. She earned her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied the nerve cells that compel a fruit fly to perform a dazzling mating dance. Convinced that she was missing some exciting science somewhere, Laura turned her eye toward writing about brains in all shapes and forms. She holds undergraduate degrees in creative writing and biology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where she was a National Merit Scholar. Growth Curve, her 2012 series on consciousness and her 2013 article on the dearth of psychiatric drugs have received awards recognizing editorial excellence.

All Stories by Laura Sanders

  1. Life

    Beetle masters optics

    Researchers may gain inspiration from the shell of Chrysina gloriosa, which twists light in a particular way.

  2. Life

    Sleeping ugly

    Analysis pinpoints genes that help springtails dehydrate and tough out the winter.

  3. Physics

    Raindrops go it alone

    A new study using a high-speed camera finds the shattering of solitary drips can produce a variety of sizes.

  4. Life

    Old gene, short new trick

    A single genetic modification is linked to the stature of short-legged dog breeds, new research shows.

  5. Computing

    Random numbers faster

    Researchers have devised a way to use a laser to create strings of orderless bits for encryption.

  6. Humans

    “%&#$!” makes you feel better

    Study finds that swearing may alleviate pain.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Schizophrenia risk gets more complex

    Three studies find that large collections of variants, rather than just a few key mutations, probably predispose someone to schizophrenia.

  8. Life

    H1N1 racks up frequent flier miles

    Analyzing global flight paths may help researchers track pandemics, as a new study on H1N1 shows.

  9. Animals

    Bat face shapes sound

    An oversized appendage in Bourret’s horseshoe bats may aid in long-distance signals.

  10. Tech

    Molecule gears up

    Researchers have made one of the most basic components of a machine out of a snowflake-shaped molecule.

  11. Physics

    Microswimmers make a splash

    Researchers study secrets of microbes' locomotion and how to mimic that movement.

  12. Tech

    Proposed quantum motor runs with a kick

    Scientists suggest a way to put ultracold atoms to work.