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Writing Samples

Astronaut performing a spacewalk

The spacesuits that astronauts wear during spacewalks were designed more than 50 years ago.

NASA

A magnifying glass over an "FBI Wanted" poster for Rim Jong Hyok.

The Agency's digital detectives pursue cybercriminals and bring them to justice.

NASA

NEO Surveyor in an infrared starfield with stars, star clusters, gas, and dust.

NASA is working to identify 90 percent of asteroids and comets that could threaten Earth.

NASA

Deep Space Network Antenna at sunset

NASA's telecommunications infrastructure requires upgrades as it faces ever-increasing demands.

NASA

Juvenile sea urchin

For the first time, using cryopreservation to freeze sea urchin embryos may help restore coral reefs in Hawai’i

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Perseverance rover on Mars

The Perseverance rover recorded sounds on Mars, revealing surprising findings about the soundscape

DISCOVER MAGAZINE

Illustration of a brain on ketamine

The drug’s initial successes have upended what many neuroscientists know about the brain and mental illness

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Man in VR headset

Medical professionals are embracing the technology to help patients deal with PTSD, anxiety disorders and more

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Rat skull

Ancient rat genomes offer clues about the fall of the Roman Empire and other aspects of our collective past

DISCOVER MAGAZINE

Corallium rubrum red coral

A new forensic technique can help investigators tell real precious corals from fake and protect vulnerable species

HAKAI MAGAZINE

Man holding bundle of asparagus

Researchers are using apple flesh to create ear-shaped human tissue and asparagus to regenerate spinal cords

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Microscopy image of mouse brain

This form of recall may control immune responses beyond the central nervous system

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Splash of color

What colors and color vocabulary can tell us about the evolving needs of language

DISCOVER MAGAZINE

Illustration of the nuclear pore complex

Researchers glean a more complete picture of the nuclear pore complex by studying it directly inside cells

MIT NEWS

Karin Öberg headshot

Karin Öberg investigates the chemical reactions that give rise to solar systems

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Frog outside

The concoction created by mating amphibians may help dispense medicine slowly over time

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Truck salting snowy road

Aerosolized road salt releases chloride that contributes to air pollution

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Researchers getting bacterial samples

Underground bacteria may be an overlooked factor in the deep carbon cycle

SCIENCE MAGAZINE

Researcher holding petri dish with microscopic worms

The way roundworms eject material from their mouths reveals a new way for neurons to control muscle cells

MIT NEWS

Komodo dragon

Small animals that move to islands tend to evolve into giants, but big animals that do the same shrink

NATURE MAGAZINE

Man holding Cryoegg device

Researchers have developed a novel wireless device called Cryoegg to peek into melting glaciers. 

DISCOVER MAGAZINE

Roundworms under microscope

Worms compare the ratio of wavelengths to avoid dangerous bacteria that secrete colorful toxins

MIT NEWS

Woman speaking and gesturing

Emphatic movements called beat gestures play an important part in communicating a speaker’s meaning

NATURE MAGAZINE

Bat pollinating flower

Robots can use echoes to navigate, but the cacophony of sound is tough to sift through

DISCOVER MAGAZINE

Yellow sea spider

First comprehensive genetic analysis reveals hundreds of millions of years of adaptation

SCIENCE MAGAZINE

Road being paved

Mixing waste rubber from scrap tires into asphalt binder is one way to make pavement environmentally friendly

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Firefighters' jackets

Fluorinated compounds in water-resistant textiles break down over time

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Comet

Ammonium salts serve as nitrogen reservoirs on the icy bodies

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Baseballs that have been sliced in half

The cores of newer balls are less dense, which could help them fly farther

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Headshot of Nancy Hopkins

Molecular biologist and professor emerita advocates for more inclusive science and advises how to get there.

MIT NEWS

Crinoid fossil

For millions of years, ancient life hitched a ride across the seas on gigantic Jurassic crinoids

HAKAI MAGAZINE

Saturn and its moon Titan

Co-crystals of acetylene and butane may help sculpt the surface of Saturn’s largest moon

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

Hands signing thumbs up and thumbs down

Gestures are not merely tools of expression but also guides of cognition and perception

QUANTA MAGAZINE

Illustration of DNA and accompanying enzyme

An essential protein helps enzymes relax overtwisted DNA so each strand can be copied during cell division

MIT NEWS

View of the Earth from the moon

For the last Apollo missions, Gene Simmons helped the public go along for the ride

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

Brain connectome

Neurological “fingerprints” reveal the influence of genetics, environment, and aging on brain connectivity

QUANTA MAGAZINE

Illustration of a tokamak

At MIT, there is a device that confines the power of the stars, generating energy at over 180 million degrees

PBS NOVA

Spiral galaxy

New model accurately predicts the date of the Chicxulub crater impact that annihilated the dinosaurs

PBS NOVA

Osteosarcoma cell

Researchers identify the amino acid aspartate as a metabolic limitation in certain cancers

MIT NEWS

Person reading Braille

A team of undergrads is developing a low-cost handheld device that translates printed text to Braille

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

Icy moon around Jupiter

NASA scientists propose landing seismology experiments to explore distant icy moons

PBS NOVA

Code on a computer screen

Researchers outlined a simple, automated method to sift through internet content and pinpoint cyber threats

PBS NOVA

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© 2022 by Raleigh McElvery

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