McKenzie Prillaman
Science Writing Intern at Science News, Spring 2023
McKenzie Prillaman is the Spring 2023 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in bioethics from the University of Virginia. She also studied adolescent nicotine dependence as a postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. After figuring out she’d rather explain scientific research than conduct it, she worked at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and then earned a master’s degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in Nature, Scientific American, Mongabay, Eos and the Mercury News, among other publications.
All Stories by McKenzie Prillaman
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Earth
Canada’s Crawford Lake seems to mark when the Anthropocene began
Mud at the bottom of this lake holds a record showing how humanity has been changing our planet. But the Anthropocene isn’t an official new epoch yet.
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Oceans
How would a mermaid sound underwater?
Human ears don’t work well in the water. A mermaid would need marine creature features to talk to and understand her aquatic friends.
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Animals
Bottlenose dolphin moms baby talk when their calves are near
Around their babies, bottlenose dolphin moms whistle with higher pitches. It’s similar to human parents speaking in baby talk.
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Health & Medicine
Swollen chambers in astronauts’ brains may take 3 years to recover
How long astronauts spend in space and the time since their last mission affects how much fluid-filled chambers in their brains expand while in space.
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Computing
Teen-created software IDs skin conditions, risky drivers and more
Researchers at the 2023 Regeneron ISEF unveiled computer programs to diagnose skin conditions, warn of dangerous driving and translate sign language.
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Environment
Fungi help rescue crops being harmed by microplastics
Microplastics in the soil hinder plant growth. But two finalists at Regeneron ISEF found that fungi and farm waste can reduce the harm.
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Tech
A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite
At Regeneron ISEF, three teens debuted an infrared system to detect honeybees carrying mites. It can show beekeepers when a colony needs to be treated.
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Brain
Scientists Say: Connectome
A connectome is a diagram of the cellular highways that carry information in the brain.
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Brain
Scientists mapped every nerve cell in this insect brain
Researchers have built a “connectivity map” of all the nerve cells in the larval fruit fly brain and how they link together.
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Planets
Research on exoplanets took top award at 2023 Regeneron ISEF
Six young researchers took home the top awards, each valued at a minimum of $50,000. Hundreds more shared nearly $9 million in prizes at international event.
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Health & Medicine
New patch might replace some finger-prick testing of blood sugar
A finalist at Regeneron ISEF created a wearable patch that turns yellow when someone’s blood-sugar level gets high enough to need an insulin shot.
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Health & Medicine
Hand dryers can infect clean hands with bathroom germs
Hot-air hand dryers are a haven for microbes. A finalist at Regeneron ISEF found that these machines spray germs all over freshly washed hands.