Author Archives

Lauren Leffer

Lauren is a science and environmental journalist currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She has previously been a vampire bat researcher, STEM educator, park naturalist, laboratory manager, and surrogate opossum parent. She writes mostly about biology, ecology, and people.

A heather blueberry plant takes up the whole frame. Small, dark blue berries dot a shrub with rounded leaves. Most leaves are bright green, some are orange and red.

The evolution of ethnobotany

Environment

Lauren Leffer • January 13, 2021

To save the plants, one scientific field highlights the importance of protecting Indigenous knowledge

A fruit fly with large red eyes sits atop a beige substance against a white background.

New insect species made via genetic engineering

Life Science

Lauren Leffer • December 18, 2020

The discovery of organisms that are new to science has historically required years of field work, but species could become something we create instead of find

Two pictures of the same rocky, high desert view side-by-side. On the left, the sky is blue and clear. On the right the air is yellow with smoke, visibility is reduced, and the sky is grey.

A flawed number that saves lives

Environment

Lauren Leffer • November 25, 2020

Millions of people rely on the Air Quality Index, but experts say it’s a rough measure at best

A large black bird, called a large-billed crow, perches on the back of an empty public park bench. Other benches and greenery are visible in the background. Japanese characters are visible on a post in the backgorund.

Birds might be listening to your conversations

Life Science

Lauren Leffer • November 19, 2020

You’ve heard of the fly on the wall, but what about the crow in the city?