Best Shortform Science Writing: October-December 2019
Remember when we used to talk about things other than coronavirus?
Putting together this round-up of outstanding shortform science writing felt like packing a time capsule. The SciShortform volunteers read and re-read these pieces in the early months of 2020, as the devastatingly nimble SARS-CoV-2 spread.
By the time we finalized our picks in late March, some of these stories started to read differently:
Nechama Moring’s phenomenal op/ed about concussion research’s habit of overlooking domestic abuse survivors is more relevant now than ever.
A quick reference to the number of Americans killed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in this news story by Jane C. Hu throws the COVID-19 numbers into sharp contrast.
Steve Trent’s hopeful take on negotiations for the Global Ocean Treaty left us wondering what would happen to protections for the ocean in a year dominated by talk about viruses.
And yet, reading pieces from six months ago, also provided a much-needed breath of fresh air. The Single Study Deep Dives category abounded with delightful takes on animal behavior and archaeology, and every space story on this list was a welcome break.
2020 is going to be a big year for science writing for obvious reasons. Explaining disease outbreaks and climate risks literally saves lives, but covering the weird and the wonderful is a vital mental health service, too.
So, to everyone reading this (most of you are science writers of some sort), hang in there. Remember that what you do matters, and remember that you are loved.
Statistics
We received 267 nominations this cycle and narrowed them down to the 48 pieces listed below.
The pieces that made the cut had to survive two rounds of selection and impress at least two (and usually three) SciShortform editors.
Our Team
This edition’s editors include: science writer Nina Bai of UCSF; Anne Berlin, who is Senior Manager of Digital Experience & SEO at Kaplan Higher Education; science writing lecturer Jimmy Brancho, PhD, of University of Michigan; postdoc Aparna Kishor, MD, PhD; science writer Stephen Riffle, PhD; freelance science writer Caroline Seydel; graduate student Vanessa Vieites of Florida International University; and me (freelance science writer Diana Crow).
Our inaugural team of story scouts included freelance science writer and Plant Crimes podcast host Ellen Airhart and graduate student Ashwini P.
Special thanks to NYU SHERP graduate student Dani Leviss, who has been managing our social media. And to science writer Courtney Columbus and graduate student Kiran Gurung of University of Groningen, who have been assisting us in the preparation of grant applications and outreach to other organizations.
This project was funded in part by a grant from the National Association of Science Writers. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by the National Association of Science Writers, and any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the National Association of Science Writers.
About the Round-Up Format
We sort the stories into “Top Picks” and “Honorable Mentions”. The stories are in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
In 2020, SciShortform will change up its format: We’re adding monthly mini round-ups that focus on coverage of a single study. Our main “Best Shortform Science Writing” compilations will move to a six-month schedule.
You can nominate pieces for the January-June 2020 round-up here. (orange form)
Anyone interested in our selection criteria can check out our rubric here.
Short Shorts (600 words & under)
Top Picks:
- “They Didn’t Find Life In A Hopeless Place” by Robin George Andrews for The New York Times
- “Geosmin could be a good bait for mosquito traps“ by Laura Howes for Chemical & Engineering News
- “Spider webs don’t rot easily and scientists may have figured out why” by Priyanka Runwal for Science News
Honorable Mentions:
- “Congress is putting money toward gun violence research for the first time in decades” by Kat Eschner for Popular Science
- “Bird eggs laid in cold climates are darker, which may keep eggs warm” by Jonathan Lambert for Science News
- “A supermassive black hole shredded a star and was caught in the act” by Carolyn Wilke for Science News
News & Trends (601–1200 words)
Top Picks:
- “So, WTF Is Up With Putting a Human in ‘Suspended Animation?’” by Maddie Bender for Motherboard
- “A robot hand taught itself to solve a Rubik’s Cube after creating its own training regime” by Karen Hao for MIT Technology Review
- “Latest weapon against lionfish invasion? Meet the Roomba of the sea” by Chris Iovenko for Christian Science Monitor
Honorable Mentions:
- “What’s Next for Human Breast Milk” by Josh Baxt for San Diego Magazine
- “Deaf couple may edit embryo’s DNA to correct hearing mutation” by Jon Cohen for Science
- “EXCLUSIVE: Ambrosia, the Young Blood Transfusion Startup, Is Quietly Back in Business” by Emily Mullin for OneZero
Single Study Deep Dives (601–1200 words)
Top Picks:
- “Grandmother orcas help their grand-whales survive” by Jason Bittel for The Washington Post
- “World’s loudest bird flirts by screaming in your face” by Katherine J. Wu for NOVA Next
- “What America Lost When It Lost the Bison” by Ed Yong for The Atlantic
Honorable Mentions:
- “Pre-Inca Canal System Uses Hillsides as Sponges to Store Water” by Rachel Fritts for Eos
- “Antibiotic resistance is spreading among marine mammals” by Jane C. Hu for High Country News
- “Ancient Assyrian Aurorae Help Astronomers Understand Solar Activity” by Mara Johnson-Groh for Eos
- “Anxious People Also Get Anxious From Relaxing” by Shayla Love for VICE
- “World’s oldest hunting scene shows half-human, half-animal figures — and a sophisticated imagination” by Michael Price for Science
Investigative & Data (1400 words & under)
Top Picks:
- “Health Officials in ‘Cancer Alley’ Will Study if Living Near a Controversial Chemical Plant Causes Cancer” by Gordon Russell for The Times-Picayune and ProPublica
- “Coca-Cola Named Most Polluting Brand in Global Audit of Plastic Waste” by Sharon Lerner for The Intercept
Honorable Mentions:
- “Are You My Cousin or Half-Sibling?” by Jane C. Hu for Slate
- “What’s Really Killing Birds?” by Cecelia Smith Schoenwalder for US News & World Report
- “Restoring Dignity to Stolen Ancestors” by Sarah Wild for SAPIENS
Columns, Op/Eds, & Blog Posts(1200 words & under)
Top Picks:
- “The Headless, Legless Pregnancy Bump” by Josie Glausiusz for Scientific American
- “Concussion research has a troubling patriarchy” by Nechama Moring for Undark Magazine
- “To stop pancreatic cancer from spreading, cut out the chatter” by Max Levy for Massive Science
Honorable Mentions:
- “Climate Darwinism Makes Disabled People Expendable” by Imani Barbarin for Forbes
- “Why it’s time to be honest about autistic women and sex” by Amy Gravino for Spectrum News
- “Here’s Our Best Opportunity to Save the Oceans — and Ourselves” by Steve Trent for The Revelator
- “The William Perry Pendley Rehabilitation Tour” by John R. Platt for The Revelator
Essays & Literary (1400 words & under)
Top Picks:
- “To Be the Curator, and Not the Curated” by Alex Fitzpatrick for Sister STEM
- “Insects can’t be virgins and you should stop calling them that” by Danielle Hoefele for Sister STEM
- “Putting the Pieces into Place” by Jen Malia for The New York Times
- “A Tree Grows — and Dies — in Rock Creek Park” by Lina Tran for 730DC
Honorable Mentions:
- “Amid the climate crisis, a parent commits an act of hope” by Rebecca Heisman for High Country News
- “A Window as Wide as the World” by Priya Rajan for Orion
- “How I let go of my guilt as a mother in grad school” by Ashley Stenzel for Science
- “Could My Lab Work Be Affecting My Fertility?” by Emily Toomey for Scientific American
Institutional (1200 words & under)
Top Picks:
- “Particle physics for preschoolers” by Meredith Fore for Symmetry
- “New study finds the mix that makes Titan’s lakes spew nitrogen bubbles” by Erin I. Garcia-Jesus for Geospace
- “Little Size Holds Big Impact: Johns Hopkins Scientists Develop Nanocontainer to Ship Titan-Size Gene Therapies and Drugs Into Cells” by Vanessa Wasta for Johns Hopkins Medicine
Honorable Mentions:
- We only got a few Institutional nominees this cycle, so PIOs and freelancers who write for universities, please nominate yourselves for the Jan-June 2020 round-up!
Honorable Misfits
- “The Deep Sea” by Neal Agarwal
- “Sincerity Poisoning” by Kat Eschner for The Quick Fox newsletter
- “After the Storm” by Mary Annaise Heglar for Guernica Magazine
- “Winding the body’s clock” by Tom Sigfried for Knowable Magazine
- “Space ageing: why sci-fi novels shun the badass older woman” by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley for Nature News & Comment
And those are our picks for October-December 2019!
If you would like to nominate a story from 2020 tag @SciShortform on Twitter with a link to the piece OR go directly through the Jan-June 2020 nomination form. (orange)
We’re also seeking nominations for two upcoming “special edition” round-ups: Stories about wildfire can be submitted here (red form), and coronavirus pieces can be submitted here. (blue form)
If interested in volunteering for SciShortform, contact Diana at diana@dianacrowscience.com with the phrase “SciShortform” in the subject line.
