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Tess Joosse

Tess Joosse is an intern in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Her writing has appeared in Science, Scientific American, Inside Science, Eos, Mongabay and the Mercury News, among other outlets. Tess recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with an MS in science communication. She also holds a BA in biology from Oberlin College. You can find her at https://www.tessjoosse.com/.

Stories from this author

A chuck of natural, light blue and gray aquamarine beryl on white background.

How X-Rays Unlocked the Mystery of Crystals

In 1912, scientists invented X-ray crystallography and revealed a crystal’s atomic structure for the first time

Zoologist Melissa Hawkins holds a squirrel with gloved hands and observes it while in the woods during daylight.

Meet the Scientist Extracting Ancient DNA From Squirrels and Lemurs

Zoologist Melissa Hawkins uses museum specimens and field expeditions to study rodents and primates

Five specimens of mistletoe fluid-preserved in clear jargs with black caps.

Five Things You Didn't Know About Mistletoe

Over 1,700 species of the parasitic plant grow around the globe

Headshot of paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner in a red sweater holding an early human skull up text to her face on white background.

Meet the Scientist Studying How Humans Started Eating Meat

Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner studies bones from animals eaten by early humans millions of years ago

A group of seven squashes and an ear of corn on grass littered with fallen leaves.

How Ancient Humans Helped Bring Pumpkins to Your Thanksgiving Table

Fall’s favorite fruits have long been essential staples in human diet and culture

A humpback whale breaches the surface of the ocean on a sunny day.

World's Biggest Whales Eat Three Times More Food Than Scientists Thought

New study also finds that recovery of whale populations could increase nutrient circulation and help boost ocean functions

Person wearing winter gear kneeling in the snow holding up a fishing line with a small fish hooked on it

Six Free Natural History Programs Streaming in November

Stream these programs and more through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

Headshot of a person under a canopy wearing a headlamp and holding a bat in gloved hands near their face

Get to Know the Biologist Who Identifies Bats by the Color of Their Poop

Melissa Ingala studies how the bacteria living in bat guts help them stay healthy

A wide shot of a museum exhibit, featuring a dark, faceless, naked female mannequin covered in orange genetic code in the background with a monitor in the foreground showing an orange and white graphic of two people with "What do you think?" between them.

Your Genomic Story Awaits at Smithsonian

Exhibit returns to unravel the complexities of humans' shared genetics

Fossilized weigeltisaurid skeleton on beige background

The Oldest Airborne Vertebrate Animal Was a Reptile With 'Weird' Wings

Paleontologists describe a 255-million-year-old weigeltisaurid fossil that likely glided through the air with the help of expansive winglike membranes

A person using a notebook while kneeling in grass on a sunny day in Kenya.

Seven Natural History Programs to Stream for Free in October

Stream these programs and more through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History