Emily Conover

Physics, Senior Writer, Science News

Physics writer Emily Conover loves physics for its ability to reveal the secret rules about how stuff works, from tiny atoms to the vast cosmos. Before becoming a science journalist, she studied physics at the University of Chicago. There, she investigated the weird ways of tiny particles called neutrinos. She has previously written for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Science Magazine and the American Physical Society. She is a two-time winner of the D.C. Science Writers’ Association Newsbrief award.

All Stories by Emily Conover

  1. Tech

    A robot made with a Venus flytrap can grab fragile objects

    Scientists have “borrowed” the hair-trigger leaves of Venus flytraps to make a gentle grabber that can be controlled by a cellphone app.

  2. Physics

    2020 Physics Nobel goes for delving into black holes

    Although Einstein’s general theory of relative suggested black holes might exist, this year’s winner’s helped show they actually are out there.

  3. Physics

    The exotic ‘atom’ positronium surprises scientists

    New measurements of a weird but simple atom, one without a nucleus, suggest it may have unexpected properties. Scientists find this troubling.

  4. Physics

    Could ripples in spacetime point to wormholes?

    A new calculation reveals that strange gravitational waves detected by LIGO and Virgo could see if a black hole were falling into a hypothetical tunnel in spacetime.

  5. Physics

    Flying snakes wriggle their way through the air

    Flying snakes go tens of meters (yards) without wings. They do it by undulating back and forth and up and down, a new study shows.

  6. Space

    Spotted: Milky Way’s giant gas bubbles in visible light

    The bubbles have different colors, based on how the gas inside them moves. That could give clues to how the bubbles developed.

  7. Physics

    Physicists foil classic oobleck science trick

    Cornstarch and water — best known as oobleck — solidifies upon impact. Researchers used a new technique to make it stay liquid.

  8. Physics

    Soap bubbles’ ‘pop’ reveals the physics of the bursts

    A bubble’s pop is a quiet, high-pitched noise. This can reveal the forces that occur during the bubble’s demise.

  9. Physics

    There’s science to making great fried rice

    Scientists report finding the physics that seems to explain how chefs can quickly fry rice over a hot flame without burning the food.

  10. Animals

    Drones might one day capture a dolphin’s breath in midair

    High-speed footage of dolphin spray reveals that droplets blast upward at speeds close to 100 kilometers per hour.

  11. Math

    Color-changing fibers help unravel a knotty problem

    Experiments with colorful fibers helped scientists discover a few simple rules on why the strength of various types of knots differs.

  12. Materials Science

    Here’s how to hide some objects from heat-sensing cameras

    A special coating that conceals temperature information from heat-detecting cameras might someday be used as a privacy shield.