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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Over 6,000 octopuses have been found huddling around an extinct volcano deep in the Pacific Ocean near California, and researchers now think they understand why the octopuses find it so cozy. -
The Perseid meteor shower sends bright streaks shooting across the night sky. Stargazers can watch the shower peak this weekend, but the key, experts say, will be patience. -
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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Millions of people in the U.S. have a genetic variant that raises their risk of cancer. Genetic testing can help people find cancer earlier and seek treatment. But many patients aren't offered it. -
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., and 10% of it comes from inherited gene mutations. Tests for genetic risk factors are inexpensive, and yet many people don't take them.
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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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It's the time of year when many people look to the skies in search of shooting stars. We learn a few tricks to get the best view of incoming meteors.
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A new study from UCSF/UCLA looks at the toll of silicosis on stone workers. Dozens of young Latino men in California have developed severe lung disease and at least 10 have died.
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Countertops made of the engineered stone "quartz" are incredibly popular, but public health experts say cutting this material unsafely can expose workers to deadly dust. -
The Devils Hole pupfish's natural habitat is a single water-filled hole in a cave in the Nevada desert. Its numbers at one point dwindled to just 35 animals. How does it manage to survive?
