Susan Milius

Susan Milius

Life Sciences Writer

Life sciences writer Susan Milius has been writing about botany, zoology and ecology for Science News since the last millennium. She worked at diverse publications before breaking into science writing and editing. After stints on the staffs of The Scientist, Science, International Wildlife and United Press International, she joined Science News. Three of Susan's articles have been selected to appear in editions of The Best American Science Writing.

All Stories by Susan Milius

  1. Health & Medicine

    Here’s the key ingredient that lets a centipede’s bite take down prey

    A newly identified “spooky toxin” launches a broad attack but might be eased with a version of a known drug.

  2. Life

    Light pollution can prolong the risk of sparrows passing along West Nile virus

    Nighttime lighting prolongs time that birds can pass along virus to mosquitoes that bite people.

  3. Animals

    The mystery of vanishing honeybees is still not definitively solved

    The case has never been fully closed for colony collapse disorder, and now bees face bigger problems.

  4. Paleontology

    Tiny scales in ancient lagoon may be the first fossil evidence of the moth-butterfly line

    Fancy liquid-sipper mouthparts might have evolved before the great burst of flower evolution

  5. Animals

    Blowflies use drool to keep their cool

    Personal air conditioning the blowfly way: Dangle a droplet of saliva and then reswallow.

  6. Animals

    Robot fish shows how the deepest vertebrate in the sea takes the pressure

    Tests with a robot snailfish reveal why the deep-sea fish has mysterious goo in its body.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Worries grow that climate change will quietly steal nutrients from major food crops

    Studies show that rice, wheat and other staples could lose proteins and minerals, putting more people at risk of hunger worldwide.

  8. Animals

    This ancient marsupial lion had an early version of ‘bolt-cutter’ teeth

    Extinct dog-sized predator crunched with unusual slicers toward the back of its jaw.

  9. Animals

    Studying giant tortoise flips without tipping the animals over is a delicate business

    Giant tortoise shells go domed or saddlebacked, but which is better when navigating treacherous ground?

  10. Animals

    Rough lessons can lessen the pull of human scent on a mosquito

    A form of aversion therapy for mosquitoes shows they can connect human scent to a bad experience.

  11. Plants

    The dietary habits of the emerald ash borer beetle are complicated

    Tests answer some questions about the emerald ash borer’s hidden taste for olive and fringe trees.

  12. Genetics

    Current CRISPR gene drives are too strong for outdoor use, studies warn

    Self-limiting genetic tools already in development may be able to get around concerns surrounding the use of gene drives.