
Kathryn Hulick is the author of Strange But True: 10 of the World's Greatest Mysteries Explained, about the science behind paranormal mysteries, including ghosts, aliens, sea monsters and more. A sequel about the future of technology comes out in 2020. Hulick also writes regularly for Science News for Students and Muse magazine.
Her favorite part of writing about science is getting to speak with researchers in many different fields. Once, she spoke with an expert on parallel universes while he was shoveling snow from his driveway.
Hulick lives in Massachusetts with her family and most enjoys hiking, gardening and learning about robots.

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All Stories by Kathryn Hulick
- Materials Science
Engineers borrow a tree’s cellulose to toughen new materials
Cellulose gives plants their strength. Engineers are turning this renewable, environmentally friendly resource into brand new materials.
- Humans
Is the sky really blue? It depends on what language you speak
English speakers talk about color a lot but rarely about smell. Researchers are learning how those who speak other languages sense the world and why differences arise.
- Tech
These flying robots protect endangered wildlife
Flying drones make conservation work much easier. Around the world, drones and artificial intelligence help scientists study or protect endangered animals.
- Ecosystems
Secret forest fungi partner with plants — and help the climate
Forest fungi are far more than mere mushrooms. They explore. They move nutrients and messages between plants. They can even help fight climate change.
- Computing
Easy for you, tough for a robot
Robots still can’t do many things that we find easy. Can engineers reduce how klutzy robots are and boost their common sense?
- Psychology
A growing share of teens feels lonely at school
Data from kids in 37 nations links this to use of cell phones and the internet.
- Animals
Cloning boosts endangered black-footed ferrets
A cloned ferret named Elizabeth Ann brings genetic diversity to a species that nearly went extinct in the 1980s.
- Animals
Will the woolly mammoth return?
Scientists are using genetic engineering and cloning to try to bring back extinct species or save endangered ones. Here’s how and why.
- Health & Medicine
Discovering the power of placebos
If you take a fake pill and expect to feel better, you may. Researchers are learning how this placebo effect works and how to use it to help patients.
- Tech
New robots can clean virus-laden surfaces so people won’t have to
Smart and nimble cleaning robots will soon help disinfect spaces. They twist and bend to hit hard-to-reach spaces with UV light or cleansing sprays.
- Materials Science
New device gets power from 5G signals grabbed from the air
A new way to harvest electricity relies on a tiny array of antennas and a lens. Together, they collect and focus 5G signals coming from any direction.
- Physics
Light levitation might help explore Earth’s ‘ignorosphere’
A toy called a light mill inspired researchers to invent a new way to fly. They’re using light to levitate small nanotube-coated discs.