Peter Hess

Peter is a writer living in New York. He is preoccupied with Star Wars and memes, but he writes about climate change, chatbots and ants. You may have seen his work in Popular Science, New Scientist and Motherboard.

Science

A new kratom report maps one possible future for the drug

"We have the opportunity this time around to do it the right way." 

Science

Yale study makes loud-and-clear statement about the "American Dream"

How is social class reproduced through speech patterns? A new study has an answer.

Science

The Blob, Paris Zoo's slime mold, is even freakier than it looks

It can 'reason' like an animal.

Science

The Peruvian Amazon may be a secret reservoir for a global frog pandemic

"Frogs are cute, so you should be sad that they are disappearing."

Science

A wild fungus could help doctors produce a safer class of opioid drugs

"Microbes may be an untapped resource."

Science

What do anti-vaxxers and Christopher Columbus have in common?

Here's what's happened since 1492.

Science

A creepy virus is forcing koalas to evolve before our eyes

There's an invader in their DNA.

Science

Scientists can tell how wealthy you are by examining your sewage

Wastewater epidemiology is controversial but precise.

Science

Hungry fish in certain areas protect sensitive coral against bleaching

Healthy fish, healthy coral.

Science

Methadone pioneer Herbert Kleber's approach still helps people today

"We were one of the first to do methadone maintenance outside of New York."

Science

An uninhabited island in the Atlantic is surprisingly covered in plastic bottles

Scientists think it means ships are dumping plastic far from its origin.

Science

A 41-year-old question about ape intelligence may finally be answered

Great apes appear to have "theory of mind," and know when a human is being fooled by another ape.

Science

Parrot and gecko skulls reveal why T. rex had such a powerful bite

The stiffer the skull, the stronger the bite.

Science

What humans can learn from ants to solve a growing public health problem

Leafcutter ants have evolved a solution to antimicrobial resistance.

Science

Earth dolphins: "Lost" genes transformed Flipper into a water-living creature

The story of these species is written in their genes.

Health

How the sleeping brain decides which memories are worth keeping

Marie Kondo could get down with this.

Science

Cancer cases blamed on drinking water contaminants, even at EPA’s “safe” levels

Don't freak out, though.

Science

New Jersey dirt is the only thing tough enough to eat “forever chemicals” PFAS

This microbe breaks one of the toughest chemical bonds in existence.

Science

Injectable Pig Heart Tissue Is the Future of Recovering From Heart Attacks

No, it's not a horror movie plot.

Science

The Brains of Artists Who Paint With Their Toes Adapt in Spectacular Ways

These artists' toes were mapped in the brain like fingers.