Nell Greenfieldboyce
Nell Greenfieldboyce is a NPR science correspondent.
With reporting focused on general science, NASA, and the intersection between technology and society, Greenfieldboyce has been on the science desk's technology beat since she joined NPR in 2005.
In that time Greenfieldboyce has reported on topics including the narwhals in Greenland, the ending of the space shuttle program, and the reasons why independent truckers don't want electronic tracking in their cabs.
Much of Greenfieldboyce's reporting reflects an interest in discovering how applied science and technology connects with people and culture. She has worked on stories spanning issues such as pet cloning, gene therapy, ballistics, and federal regulation of new technology.
Prior to NPR, Greenfieldboyce spent a decade working in print, mostly magazines including U.S. News & World Report and New Scientist.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins, earning her Bachelor's of Arts degree in social sciences and a Master's of Arts degree in science writing, Greenfieldboyce taught science writing for four years at the university. She was honored for her talents with the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Journalists.
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The official naming organization for birds in the U. S. is making a bold move, after concerns were raised about birds being named after people with questionable histories.
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A NASA mission called Psyche is about to launch on a mission out to an unusual asteroid that's scientists believe is largely composed of metal. -
Scientists are learning the secrets of the largest known collective of octopuses. Over 6,000 of them are huddle around an extinct sea volcano in the Pacific. (Story aired on ATC on 8/23/23.)
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A space capsule with dirt and rocks collected from an asteroid has returned safely to Earth. Scientists eagerly anticipate what the samples could tell them about Earth's origins and the galaxy.
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Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. Tests for genetic risk factors are inexpensive, and yet many people don't take them. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Aug. 1, 2023.)
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A study examines the toll of silicosis on stone workers. Dozens of young Latino men in California developed severe lung disease and at least 10 died. (Story aired on ATC on July 24, 2023.)
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Scientists say they've found evidence of a very long gravitational wave that could open a window onto supermassive black holes — and perhaps even other extreme, unseen objects in the universe.
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Researchers find that the white spots on the wings of monarch butterflies may help them fly farther. (Story first aired on All Things Considered on June 21, 2023.)
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A study finds a Black driver is more likely to face being searched, handcuffed or arrested when an officer's first words are commands rather than a greeting. (Story aired on ATC on May 29, 2023.)
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Policymakers have long grappled with how to handle experiments that might generate potentially dangerous viruses. Now, officials are considering whether oversight needs to be expanded.
