![](jpg/500_maria_t-214x214.jpg)
Maria Temming
Assistant Editor, Science News Explores
Maria Temming is the assistant editor at Science News Explores. Maria has undergraduate degrees in physics and English from Elon University and a master's degree in science writing from MIT. She has written for Scientific American, Sky & Telescope and NOVA Next. She’s also a former staff writer at Science News.
![](png/cta-module-sm%402x.png)
All Stories by Maria Temming
- Tech
Let’s learn about flying drones for science
Airborne robots help researchers keep tabs on wildlife, agriculture and more.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Muon
Tracking muons raining down on Earth can reveal new details of pyramids, volcanoes and thunderstorms.
- Math
Let’s learn about mathematical mysteries
There are still many mysteries about numbers, shapes and other aspects of math that have yet to be solved.
- Math
Scientists Say: Prime number
Prime numbers’ unique quality — being divisible only by themselves and one — makes them useful for encrypting secret information.
- Animals
These jellyfish can learn without brains
No brain? No problem for Caribbean box jellyfish. Their simple nervous systems can still learn, a study suggests.
- Animals
Let’s learn about why turkeys are dinosaurs
Modern birds are the only dinosaurs that survived an apocalyptic extinction event 66 million years ago.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Deep brain stimulation
Through wires implanted in a person’s brain, this medical treatment can help treat various conditions.
- Brain
Let’s learn about mind reading
In the future, more advanced, less bulky mind-reading equipment could raise serious privacy concerns.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Gamma ray
Lightning bolts, nuclear explosions, colliding stars and black holes all throw off this high-energy type of light.
- Science & Society
These teens are using science to make the world a better place
Finalists in the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge are doing projects that aim to help others.
- Brain
‘Lucid’ dreamers could solve mysteries about sleeping minds
People who know they’re asleep while dreaming could help study how sleeping minds create elaborate alternate realities.
- Animals
Let’s learn about vampire bats
Vampire bats rarely bite people, instead preferring to feed on animals like cows and horses.