Alison Pearce Stevens

Freelance Writer

Alison Pearce Stevens is a former duck wrangler, beekeeper and forever science geek who specializes in writing about science and nature for kids. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two kids and a small menagerie of cuddly (and not-so cuddly) critters. She writes for Science News Explores, Highlights, ASK (Arts and Sciences for Kids) magazine and National Geographic Kids' Books. Her next book, Rhinos in Nebraska, comes out in 2021. She is also an avid gardener who can often be found in her yard, checking out the critters that call it home.

All Stories by Alison Pearce Stevens

  1. Chemistry

    Forensic scientists are gaining an edge on crime

    Advances in forensic science are helping to recover invisible fingerprints and identify missing people from bits of tissue or bone.

  2. Psychology

    Persuasion can be used to change hearts and minds

    Persuasion can be used for good — or ill — to change how people feel. To protect yourself against undue persuasion, pay attention.

  3. Science & Society

    Good at reading? That’s no sign girls won’t also cut it in STEM

    U.S. parents read to their daughters, but few coach them on math. This may explain why girls excel at English but aren’t sure STEM is for them.

  4. Animals

    Orb-weaving spiders use their webs like external eardrums

    Scientists discover that orb-weaving spiders listen with their legs, detecting sound vibrations that travel through their silken webs.

  5. Brain

    Warning! Nicotine poses special risks to teens

    Even a single dose of nicotine during early teen years can start a life-long cycle of nicotine use and addiction.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Your bloodstream may be littered with the plastic you’ve eaten

    For the first time, scientists have found plastic particles circulating in human blood. No one yet knows whether those polluting bits might pose a risk to health.

  7. Computing

    Facial expressions could be used to interact in virtual reality

    New technology allows people to interact with virtual environments using just their facial expressions.

  8. Environment

    We all unknowingly eat plastic, which may host toxic pollutants

    In the environment, plastics attract all types of toxic chemicals. If ingested, new data show, chemicals on those plastic bits may harm the gut.

  9. Chemistry

    New process can transform urban CO2 pollution into a resource

    Researchers have developed a liquid metal that breaks down carbon dioxide in the air, converting it from a climate threat into a valuable raw material.

  10. Psychology

    Addiction can develop when reward-seeking changes a teen’s brain

    Over time, the pleasure disappears and craving grows. That craving causes stress that can drive people to use drugs or pursue unhealthy behaviors again and again.

  11. Psychology

    We all imagine being friends with celebrities. Is that a bad thing?

    One-sided relationships with celebrities and fictional characters are normal. They also can boost self-esteem and empathy.

  12. Animals

    Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems

    Restoring the missing species can help undo human-caused problems by aiding forests, slowing climate change and reducing wildfires.