Sarah Zielinski

Sarah Zielinski

Editor, Print at Science News Explores

Sarah Zielinski wanted to be a marine biologist when she was growing up, but after graduating from Cornell University with a B.A. in biology, and a stint at the National Science Foundation, she realized that she didn’t want to spend her life studying just one area of science — she wanted to learn about it all and share that knowledge with the public. In 2004, she received an M.A. in journalism from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program and began a career in science journalism. She worked as a science writer and editor at the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the American Geophysical Union’s newspaper Eos and Smithsonian magazine before becoming a freelancer. During that time, she started her blog, Wild Things, and moved it to Science News magazine, and then became an editor for and frequent contributor to Science News Explores. Her work has also appeared in Slate, Science, Scientific American, Discover and National Geographic News. She is the winner of the DCSWA 2010 Science News Brief Award and editor of the winner of the Gold Award for Children’s Science News in the 2015 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards, “Where will lightning strike?” published in Science News Explores. In 2005, she was a Marine Biological Laboratory Science Journalism Fellow.

All Stories by Sarah Zielinski

  1. Plants

    Pretty flower uses dead arthropods to lure protectors

    A sticky columbine from California lures arthropods to their death to lure protectors to the plant, a new study suggests.

  2. Animals

    For a python, every meal is like Thanksgiving

    Burmese pythons rarely eat, but when they do, they gorge. Unlike humans, pythons have adaptations that allow them to survive on huge meals.

  3. Animals

    Five species that show why ‘bird brain’ is a stupid phrase

    Birds can use tools, make art and understand human language. Why do we assume they are stupid?

  4. Animals

    Vampire bats share blood to make friends

    Vampire bats that share blood with nonrelatives have a wider social network to rely on when they’re in need, a new study finds.

  5. Animals

    Hungry elephants turn trunks into leaf blowers

    Darwin once observed an elephant using its trunk to blow an object closer. Japanese zoo elephants use the behavior to obtain food, a new study reports.

  6. Animals

    Tortoises provide a window into the illegal wildlife trade

    Tens of thousands of Indian star tortoises are poached every year, a new study finds.

  7. Animals

    Windy days mean smaller meals for little penguin chicks

    Wind speed appears to affect how much food little penguins can bring home for their chicks.

  8. Animals

    Big cats hunt livestock when wild prey is scarce

    Lions, tigers and other big cats tend to hunt livestock only after their wild prey has dropped in availability, a new study shows.

  9. Plants

    Marsh grass masquerades as a native species

    The abundant cordgrass found in South American marshes may actually have invaded the region more than two centuries ago, a new study concludes.

  10. Animals

    Wildfires are an unexpected threat to California condors

    Lead poisoning remains a threat to California condors, but a new review finds that wildfires may also be a danger to the big birds.

  11. Animals

    As panda baby grows, mom’s milk changes

    In the first month after a mama panda gives birth, her milk changes in composition, a new study finds.

  12. Animals

    Invasive species may be great snacks for predators

    The arrival of a new food source can benefit predators, a new study finds. But if there are no native species around to eat, it’s a different story.