Here’s a few excerpts from some pieces I’m particularly proud of. For a more complete list of my work, take a look at the Articles & Writings page.

“2021 Was the Year Space Tourism Opened Up. But for Whom?”
WIRED magazine, December 29, 2021

SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic finally made commercial spaceflight possible. Now there are questions about the purpose of these exclusive trips.

“Decolonizing the Cosmos”
Aeon magazine, November 12, 2021

Instead of treating Mars and the Moon as sites of conquest and settlement, we need a radical new ethics of space exploration.

“When the Big Bang Was Just a Theory”
New York Times, August 24, 2021

“The computer will see you now: Is your therapy session about to be automated?”
The Guardian, June 4, 2021

Experts say AI is set to grow rapidly in psychiatry and therapy, allowing doctors to spot mental illness earlier and improve care. But are the technologies effective – and ethical?

“Solar Storms can weak havoc. We need better space weather forecasts”
Science News magazine, February 26, 2021

Scientists are expanding efforts to probe outbursts from the sun and understand their occasionally Earthbound paths.

“Climate Change is a Political Crisis, Not a Reproductive One”
Undark magazine, January 23, 2020

Asking millennials to forego children in the name of climate change only lets the fossil fuel industry off the hook.

“Planet Nine Could be a Mirage”
Scientific American, May 5, 2020

Mysterious patterns in orbits of small bodies in the outer solar system could arise from the gravity of a massive disk of icy debris rather than an undiscovered giant world.

“What Legacy Lies Ahead for Black Lives Matter?”
Knowable magazine, October 16, 2020

Historically, the road to reform has often begun with protesters taking to the streets. A sociologist and a political scientist take stock of whether today’s activism will lead to actual change.

“As Risks of Space Wars Grow, Policies to Curb Them Lag”
Undark magazine, July 6, 2020

A pair of recent reports point to growing space threats, but efforts to prevent conflicts are stagnant or out of step.

“The Disturbing Resilience of Scientific Racism”
Smithsonian magazine, May 20, 2019

A new book explores how racist biases continue to maintain a foothold in research today.

“Smartphone Privacy Is Under Threat at the Border”
OneZero magazine, June 7, 2019

Invasive Searches of devices and computers are becoming more common for border crossers, but they’re being challenged in court.

“Q & A: Terry Tempest Williams on erosion as an emotional state”
High Country News, November 11, 2019

The acclaimed author discusses how she hopes to help people fine strength in these times.

“A Rising Sea Doesn’t Lift All Boats”
Hakai magazine, November 20, 2019

Measures to avoid sea level rise that rely entirely on voluntary action threaten to exacerbate inequality.

“Searching for Meaning on Our Pale Blue Dot“
Undark magazine, November 15, 2019

In “For Small Creatures Such as We,” Sasha Sagan reflects on her upbringing and the power of secular faith.

“The Hidden Damage of Solitary Confinement”
Knowable magazine, June 22, 2018

Meant to punish or protect, social isolation in prison creates a ripple of unintended effects on the psyche.

“Greening the Future of Outer Space”
Smithsonian magazine, June 1, 2018

A team of scientists and policy experts want to develop space sustainably for future generations.

“How Trump’s ‘Space Force’ Could Set Off a Dangerous Arms Race”
Politico magazine, June 22, 2018

The president says he wants to dominate the cosmos. But China and Russia aren’t just going to stand by.

“A Calculating Look at Criminal Justice”
Undark magazine, September 26, 2018

The criminal justice system increasingly uses algorithms to decide legal fates, but not all are built or used fairly.

“Interstellar Visitor Found to Be Unlike a Comet or an Asteroid”
Quanta magazine, October 10, 2018

The mystery of ’Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever observed, continues to deepen. A new analysis argues that if it were a comet, it would have broken apart as it passed near the sun.

“Bite Marks and Bullet Holes”
Undark magazine, June 2, 2017

The Attorney General ended the National Commission on Forensic Science, suppressing an opportunity for reducing convictions based on faulty evidence.

“Is Planet Nine Even Real?”
The Atlantic, December 8, 2017

A year and a half after it was proposed, astronomers are still debating whether the giant mystery planet actually exists.

“Did Climate Change Bring Down Late Bronze Age Civilizations?”
Hakai magazine, August 10, 2017

Marine archaeologists excavating the eastern Mediterranean are learning how the Bronze Age Mycenaean, Egyptian, and Anatolian Empires fell.

“To find aliens, we must think of life as we don’t know it ”
Aeon magazine, September 19, 2017

“Trump’s ‘America First’ Policies Won’t Work in Space”
Wired magazine, August 23, 2017

Opinion: The president’s National Space Council should prioritize diplomacy.

“These people think Trump is too liberal on climate”
Washington Post, November 13, 2017