Tara Yarlagadda

Based in Los Angeles, Tara covers a variety of beats, including weird and exciting animal news, the latest in pet science, important updates on the climate crisis and the environment, as well as any other groundbreaking research in the big bad world of nature.

Tara Yarlagadda was Inverse’s nature reporter. She received an M.A in Literary Reportage (Journalism) from New York University. She’s worked as a fact-checker for The New York Times Syndicate and a local news reporter for Bedford + Bowery, a collaboration between New York University and New York magazine. She’s also been published in PBS NewsHour, The New York Times, HowStuffWorks, Paste, The New Food Economy, and more.

In her previous life, Tara worked in social justice and nonprofits, giving her a special interest in understanding how the climate crisis impacts the most marginalized communities. She also dabbles in novel writing and screenwriting in her spare time, using her passion for the environment to write some very post-apocalyptic parables.

What Spider-Man 2 Gets Right (and Wrong) About Bionic Limbs

As bionic prosthetics become more advanced, is there any cause for concern?

By Tara Yarlagadda
Science

Dollhouse’s Absurd Sci-Fi Premise Actually Got One Thing Right

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve “recalled” a fake memory at some point.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

NASA Could Replace the ISS With a Space Station Design Straight Out of Sci-Fi

The O’Neill Cylinder has been a pop culture fixture for three decades, but its origins go back even further.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

Are Body-Snatching Aliens a Real Threat to Humanity?

It could happen, according to the experts we interviewed.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Climate Solutions

Huge Underground Networks of an Unlikely Organism Are a Natural Carbon Superhighway

Fungi may hold surprising data that we’ll need in the fight against climate change.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Pet Science

Why Does My Dog Sit Facing Away From Me? A Pet Expert Explains

Their behavior might not be as strange as you think.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Science

"Unprecedented" Science Expedition Unlocks New Genetic Clues To Help Save Coral Reefs

The groundbreaking research on microbes could help us understand an "ecosystem in crisis."

By Tara Yarlagadda
Pet Science

Should I Let My Cat Go Outdoors? 3 Reasons to Keep Your Pet Inside

Keep Fluffy indoors for her protection.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Climate Solutions

This Experimental Soil Transplant Could Help Trees Become Climate Resilient

Climate-resilient trees make for a happy planet.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Climate Solutions

Can This “Unprecedented” Experiment in the Amazon Help Save Our Planet?

Could this unorthodox method help us prepare for future climate change?

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

The Strangest Sci-Fi Movie on Netflix Reveals An Experimental Method to Reverse Aging

Can we really turn back the clock on aging like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

By Tara Yarlagadda
Science

An Innocuous Dye Could Hold the Antidote to the World’s Deadliest Mushroom

We may finally have an antidote to end the death knell of the death cap mushroom.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Pet Science

Pregnant Dogs and Women Have One Surprising Thing in Common

Metabolism during pregnancy is understudied — but new research on dogs could help humans, too.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

The MCU’s First Smash Hit Gets One Thing Right About Nuclear Fusion

Is Iron Man's arc reactor possible in real life? Experts weigh in on the sci-fi movie's premise.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Science

Moss Is A Powerful Carbon Storage Solution. Can It Help Fight Climate Change?

It's an overlooked but likely important resource for ecosystems worldwide.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Pet Science

Why Is My Dog Shaking? Pet Experts Answer This Important Question

Assess the context to figure out what’s up with your pup.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Opinion

The Messiest Sci-Fi Show of the Year Is Also the Most Important

Extrapolations is must-see TV in the era of climate change.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

The Wildest Gerard Butler Sci-Fi Movie on HBO Max Barely Understands Its Own Science

Geostorm has a ludicrous premise — and even more ludicrous technology.

By Tara Yarlagadda
Reel Science

The Wildest Sci-Fi Thriller on Amazon Prime Reveals a Strange Aerial Phenomenon

Is it a UFO, or just a really weird cloud?

By Tara Yarlagadda
Pet Science

This Is Why Your Cat Freaks Out When You Say "Pspspsps"

Here's why your cat goes wild for this peculiar noise.

By Tara Yarlagadda