Sarah Zielinski

Sarah Zielinski

 

Sarah Zielinski is an award-winning science writer and editor. She is a contributing writer in science for Smithsonian.com and blogs at Wild Things, which appears on Science News.

The production of oil and gas produces methane. But official counts may be underestimating just how much of this potent greenhouse gas comes from natural gas and similar sources.

Emissions of Methane, a Potent Greenhouse Gas, May Be Underestimated

Leaks from natural gas extraction may be a bigger source of U.S. methane emissions than previously thought, a new study finds

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The Top Ten Doctor Who Stories for History Buffs

Fifty years after he was introduced to the world, the Doctor's influence is bigger on the inside

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World’s Rivers and Streams Leak a Lot of Carbon Dioxide

Lakes and reservoirs take up more space, but rivers and streams release more of the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, a new study finds

Large swaths of Brazil’s Amazon have been wiped out, but deforestation there is starting to slow.

Hotspots of Deforestation Revealed in New Maps

New maps of global forest loss find that while Brazil is decreasing its rate of deforestation, many other nations are rapidly losing forest cover

A view of the New York City skyline

Introducing a Special Report on Energy

In a world hungry for power, a new wealth of innovation hopes to keep the engine of industry running for the foreseeable future

A male Eastern wild turkey

14 Fun Facts About Turkeys

#8: A turkey's gender can be determined from its droppings

Defying its reputation as aloof, this tortoiseshell cat was labelled “the friendliest cat we met”

Judging a Cat (Wrongly) by the Color of its Coat

Black cats aren't evil, and torties aren't always aloof. But people often think coat color and behavior are linked

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The Marshmallow Test Gets More Complicated

A new study finds that in a study of self control, the perception of trustworthiness matters

Chemistry set manufacturing for children began in the early 20th century and peaked popularity in the 1950's.

The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Chemistry Set

Banning toys with dangerous acids was a good idea, but was the price a couple generations of scientists?

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Same Gene Guides Cheetah and Tabby Cat Coat Patterns

A mutation in one gene produces tabby cats with blotches and cheetahs with stripes

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Should Pluto’s Planet Status Be Reinstated? Not Yet

Discovery of a fifth moon circling Pluto has some questioning where the "dwarf planet" category still applies to this faraway member of the Solar System

King penguins are the second largest species of penguin

King Penguins Stressed Out By Scientists And Tourists

The king penguins appear to be habituated to the presence of humans, but a new study finds that even limited human contact may be negatively affecting them

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The Fate(s) of Australia’s Mega-Mammals

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The DC Derecho of 2012

A devastating storm swept through Washington Friday night. By Saturday morning we were all left wondering, "what in the world had happened?"

Photinus pyralis, a species of firefly found in the eastern United States

14 Fun Facts About Fireflies

Fact number 3: In some places at some times, fireflies synchronize their flashing

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What Give Cheetahs The Edge In a Race With Greyhounds

If you could put a wild cheetah up against a greyhound in a race, the cheetah would win, no problem. But why?

No one is going to Mars until scientists figure out how to shield travelers from deadly radiation.

Mission to Mars: The Radiation Problem

NASA wouldn't opt to expose astronauts to a 19 percent increased risk of cancer, but there's no telling what a reality TV show would do

Flying foxes roost in the trees in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens in 2008.

Bats Lose Out to Historic Trees in Sydney

Flying foxes can defoliate trees, but should the Royal Botanic Garden shoo this vulnerable species from its grounds?

Some scientists have suggested the weight of water in the lake created by the Zipingpu Dam in China triggered the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

UPDATED: How Humans Cause Earthquakes

Fracking is just the latest cause to make the news for its link to quakes

A medium-size solar flare with a coronal mass ejection, captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 7, 2011

Could The Sun Set Off The Next Big Natural Disaster?

A new study finds that a strong solar storm could disable satellites for a decade

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