Over the spring and summer, I wrote quite a few articles for Front Vision, an educational Chinese-language science magazine for kids and teens.
The Super Powers of Poop, May 2020
This article is about fecal transplants, an unusual medical treatment that cures C. difficile, a deadly bacterial infection. It also seems to help treat a range of other diseases and conditions, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to metabolic syndrome and even (maybe) autism.
Advanced Ceramics, July 2020
Ceramics are probably the first material humans ever invented — early humans formed clay pots and figurines tens of thousands of years ago. But in the past few decades, scientists and engineers have invented many new types of ceramics and ways of producing ceramic materials. My favorite application? Ceramic superconductors!
Inventing New Body Parts, July 2020
This article was inspired by research for my new book, Strange But True: The Future, which comes out in Fall 2021. Medical researchers are coming up with ways to print or grow human skin, bone, and even parts of organs.
How to Make a Diamond, August 2020
Synthetic diamonds are an important part of science and industry. This article covers how they’re made inside machines that apply a lot of heat and pressure to seed crystals.
The Story of Jade, August 2020
This article explores the similarities and differences among nephrite and jadeite. The coolest part? Jade has actually formed inside meteors, including the one that vaporized over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013.