Tom Siegfried

Tom Siegfried

Contributing Correspondent

Tom Siegfried is a contributing correspondent. He was editor in chief of Science News from 2007 to 2012, and he was the managing editor from 2014 to 2017. He is the author of the blog Context. In addition to Science News, his work has appeared in Science, Nature, Astronomy, New Scientist and Smithsonian. Previously he was the science editor of The Dallas Morning News. He is the author of four books: The Bit and the Pendulum (Wiley, 2000); Strange Matters (National Academy of Sciences’ Joseph Henry Press, 2002);  A Beautiful Math (2006, Joseph Henry Press); and The Number of the Heavens (Harvard University Press, 2019). Tom was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and grew up in nearby Avon. He earned an undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University with majors in journalism, chemistry and history, and has a master of arts with a major in journalism and a minor in physics from the University of Texas at Austin. His awards include the American Geophysical Union's Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism, the Science-in Society award from the National Association of Science Writers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science-Westinghouse Award, the American Chemical Society’s James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public, and the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award.

All Stories by Tom Siegfried

  1. Math

    Science is heroic, with a tragic (statistical) flaw

    Science falls short of its own standards because of the mindless use of ritualistic statistical tests.

  2. Science & Society

    Max Planck, originator of quantum theory, tormented by war and personal loss

    A biography by physicist Brandon Brown illuminates the personal struggles of the physics pioneer.

  3. Science & Society

    Nash’s mind left a beautiful legacy

    The death of game theory pioneer John Nash ends a dramatic story of genius.

  4. Astronomy

    ‘Black Hole’ traces 100 years of a transformative idea

    Implied by general relativity and proven by astronomical discoveries, black holes’ existence took decades for physicists to accept.

  5. Physics

    Nobel laureate foresees mind-expanding future of physics

    A Nobel laureate forecasts deeper understanding of physics and new powers for the human mind in the century to come.

  6. Math

    Research can’t be right with ‘Statistics Done Wrong’

    Fraud in science gets a lot of attention and condemnation — as it should. But fraud isn't that interesting compared to all the errors that scientists commit unintentionally.

  7. Science & Society

    Old periodic table could resolve today’s element placement dispute

    A little-known genius figured out where all the elements in the periodic table should be placed long before some of them were discovered.

  8. Science & Society

    Top 10 science anniversaries of 2015

    From genes and dreams to gravity and Kevlar, 2015 offers plenty to celebrate.

  9. Math

    P value ban: small step for a journal, giant leap for science

    Peer-reviewed journals have largely insisted on P values as a standard of worthiness. But now the editors of one journal have banned the statistical tool.

  10. Life

    Life’s origin might illustrate the power of game theory

    Game theory math can describe molecular competition and cooperation, perhaps providing clues to the origin of life.

  11. Science & Society

    Islamic science paved the way for a millennial celebration of light

    Ibn al-Haytham’s book on optics from a millennium ago serves as a good excuse to celebrate the International Year of Light.

  12. Astronomy

    Top 10 messages to send to E.T.

    Fears that sending signals to alien civilizations would provoke an invasion shouldn't prevent transmitting important messages.