Jack J. Lee is a freelance science writer based in the San Francisco Bay area. He was the summer 2020 science writing intern at Science News. He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Caltech and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University. He recently completed a master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His work has been published in Eos, the Monterey Herald and The Mercury News.

All Stories by Jack J. Lee

  1. Animals

    What biologists call a species is becoming more than just a name

    The tree of life — evolution — has been reshaping how scientists name and classify organisms. Some want naming to reflect evolutionary groups even more.

  2. Animals

    Most species of beetles pee differently than other insects

    Scientists uncover their unique system for balancing ions and water. The findings may hint at why beetles are the most diverse animals on Earth.

  3. Space

    Space travel may harm health by damaging cells’ powerhouses

    Biochemical changes after going to space suggest that harm to cells’ energy-producing structures, called mitochondria, could explain astronauts’ health issues.

  4. Tech

    This high-tech sweeper is designed for super-clingy moon dust

    An electron beam is the newest tool being developed to remove sticky and damaging lunar dust from surfaces.

  5. Animals

    Dolphins can learn from their peers how to use shells as tools

    Some bottlenose dolphins seem to look to their peers, rather than mom, to learn how to trap prey in shells.

  6. Fossils

    Early dinosaurs may have laid soft-shelled eggs

    Scientists for the first time have turned up evidence of fossils from soft-shelled dinosaur eggs. This has scientists rethinking how dinosaur eggs evolved.

  7. Ecosystems

    Newfound desert soil community lives on sips of fog

    Lichens and other fungi and algae team up to form a 'grit-crust' on the parched soil of Chile’s Atacama Desert. Those species slake their thirst with moisture from coastal fog.