Meghan Rosen headhsot

Meghan Rosen

Staff Writer, Biological Sciences

Meghan Rosen is a staff writer who reports on the life sciences for Science News. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology with an emphasis in biotechnology from the University of California, Davis, and later graduated from the science communication program at UC Santa Cruz. Prior to joining Science News in 2022, she was a media relations manager at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her work has appeared in Wired, Science, and The Washington Post, among other outlets. Once for McSweeney’s, she wrote about her kids’ habit of handing her trash, a story that still makes her (and them) laugh.

All Stories by Meghan Rosen

  1. Materials Science

    Making artificial muscles with a spin

    Scientists have given ordinary fishing line and sewing thread a new twist. When coiled into tight corkscrews, the fibers can lift loads more than 100 times as heavy as those hefted by human muscles.

  2. Tech

    Termite-inspired robots build structures without central command

    Simple guidelines keep machines hauling and placing bricks.

  3. Ecosystems

    Amazon doesn’t actually go green in dry seasons

    An optical illusion in satellite data made forests appear to grow faster.

  4. Materials Science

    Etched glass stops cracks in their tracks

    Adding wavy lines to glass reduces the material’s notorious brittleness.

  5. Earth

    Life’s early traces

    Tiny tufts, rolls and crinkles in 3.5-billion-year-old rocks add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that cellular life got a relatively quick start on Earth.

  6. Planetary Science

    Old rover finds new evidence of water on Mars

    Opportunity’s analysis of rocks at Endeavour crater reveals chemistry that could have supported life.

  7. Ecosystems

    Trees’ growth keeps climbing with age

    Older trees pack on weight faster, making them potentially the best carbon collectors.

  8. Animals

    Year in Review: Canine genealogy

    Competing clues confuse the story of dog domestication.

  9. Genetics

    Year in Review: Caffeine triggers cloning advance

    To successfully clone human cells, eggs must be dunked in the stimulant.

  10. Life

    Year in Review: Bioengineers make headway on human body parts

    New techniques produce mimics of brain, liver, heart, kidney, retina.

  11. Planetary Science

    Sinkholes, tectonics may have shaped Titan’s lakes and seas

    A map of Saturn’s largest moon reveals clues about the object's landscape.

  12. Climate

    Tornado intensity climbs in the United States

    Larger paths of destruction may be tied to climate change.