Sid Perkins

Freelance Writer

Sid is a freelance science journalist. He lives in Crossville, Tenn., with his wife, two dogs and three cats. He specializes in earth sciences and paleontology but often tackles topics such as astronomy, planetary science, materials science and engineering. 

 

In 2009, Sid won the Award for Distinguished Science Journalism in the Atmospheric and Related Sciences from the American Meteorological Society. And in 2002, he shared the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Physics Division’s Award for Popular Writing on Solar Physics. Sid’s writing also appears in Science, Nature, Scientific American, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Science News.

All Stories by Sid Perkins

  1. Planets

    Jupiter’s intense auroras heat up its atmosphere

    Jupiter’s hotter-than-expected upper atmosphere may be warmed by charged particles slamming into the air above the poles.

  2. Oceans

    Moon’s orbital wobble can add to sea-level rise and flooding

    In a dozen years or so, the tide-enhancing effects of a wobble in the moon’s orbit should lead to dramatically higher sea levels in some coastal cities.

  3. Tech

    Synthetic trees could tap underground water in arid areas

    They also could also help coastal residents mine fresh water from salty sources.

  4. Tech

    Headphones or earmuffs could replace needles in some disease testing

    A new system that uses earmuffs to collect gases coming out the skin could help doctors diagnose a variety of diseases, scientists say.

  5. Animals

    Engineers surprised by the power of an elephant’s trunk

    An elephant's trunk can suck air through it fast — at more than 335 miles per hour (150 meters per second)!

  6. Animals

    Common parasite may help mussels survive heat waves

    By whitening shells, the organism helps the shellfish stay cool on sunny days, a new study suggests.

  7. Climate

    Climate may have sent drift of the North Pole toward Greenland

    This mid-1990s shift in the pole’s movement was driven by glacial melt. And that was triggered in part by climate change, a new study reports.

  8. Animals

    The secret to T. rex‘s incredible biting force is at last revealed

    The force of a T. rex bite was roughly 6 metric tons. A new study points to what’s behind that mighty force.

  9. Animals

    Explainer: What are cicadas?

    There are more than 3,000 species of cicadas, but the best known in North America are periodical cicadas, which emerge every 13 or 17 years.

  10. Materials Science

    Copper ‘foam’ could be used as filters for COVID-19 masks

    The lightweight new material could serve as a washable and recyclable, eco-friendly alternative for many current mask filters.

  11. Planets

    Scientists discover likely source of the moon’s faint yellow tail

    These sodium atoms are part of the debris kicked up from the moon’s surface, mostly by micrometeorites, two new studies conclude.

  12. Environment

    COVID-19 cut pollution in 2020, warming the atmosphere

    Pandemic-related lockdowns briefly warmed the planet. The reason: The cleaner air carried fewer planet-cooling aerosols.