Carolyn Wilke

Former Staff Writer, Science News for Students

Carolyn Wilke recently earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering at Northwestern University, where her research drew on the fields of environmental chemistry, materials science and toxicology. She got her start in science writing by blogging for HELIX, Northwestern’s science magazine and wrote as a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at The Sacramento Bee. Prior to working at Science News for Students, Carolyn interned at Science News and The Scientist. When not delving into a new scientific discovery, you might find Carolyn behind her sewing machine or trying to amuse her cat. 

All Stories by Carolyn Wilke

  1. Space

    Scientists Say: Quasar

    This word describes the bright-shining core of a galaxy in which a supermassive black hole sucks in matter and releases a huge amount of energy.

  2. Animals

    Minecraft’s big bees don’t exist, but giant insects once did

    Big bees buzz in Minecraft. In our world, blocky bees might starve and be stuck on the ground. Yet long ago, giant insects did roam our planet.

  3. Climb like a slo-mo Spiderman using this super suction robot

    A whooshing ring of water keeps the robot’s vacuum from losing grip, even on rough surfaces

  4. Microbes

    Scientists Say: Amoeba

    Amoebas are single-celled microbes that move and eat with shape-shifting bulges that extend from their cells. Some are blobs. Others build a shell.

  5. Materials Science

    This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas

    Microbes help harden a mix of sand and gelatin into a living concrete that could interact with people and the environment in great new ways.

  6. Earth

    Scientists Say: Jurassic

    During this time from about 200 million to 145 million years ago, dinosaurs reigned and many animals evolved, including birds and some early mammals.

  7. Animals

    Scientists Say: Echolocation

    This word describes a method that some animals use to sense their environments by making sounds and listening for their echoes.

  8. Earth

    Scientists Say: Ring of Fire

    This horseshoe-shaped path on the fringes of the Pacific Ocean holds most of the world’s active volcanos and earthquake sites.

  9. Chemistry

    Batteries should not burst into flames

    Because lithium-ion batteries power modern life, they need to store a lot of energy. Now scientists are focusing on making them safer.

  10. Physics

    Scientists Say: Photon

    This word describes light as a particle. A photon is the tiniest possible bit of electromagnetic radiation.

  11. Space

    Before working on spacecraft, this engineer overcame self-doubt

    Tiera Fletcher once dreamed of working on spacecraft. Gaining confidence helped her become an engineer who designs vehicles for moon or Mars travel.

  12. Life

    Scientists Say: Enzyme

    This word describes a molecule that speeds up chemical reactions in living things. Enzymes work by lowering the energy needed for a reaction to occur.