Katie M. Palmer
Senior Editor
Katie M. Palmer is a senior editor covering science and health.
The WIRED Guide to Climate Change
The world is getting warmer, the weather is getting worse. Here's everything you need to know about what humans can do to stop wrecking the planet.
Why the Gene Editors of Tomorrow Need to Study Ethics Today
Jennifer Doudna says the next generation of biologists will be our first line of defense against Crispr gone wild.
The Microbiome Isn't Just About You Anymore
Everything has a microbiome, whether it’s a subway platform or a cornfield. Research that can help us understand those communities will hit the market soon.
Crispr Will Give Humans Genetic Superpowers
Biologists worldwide have fallen in love with rapid, efficient gene editing. It holds great promise for treating cancer—and great peril for humanity.
Congrats to All You Gravity-Bound Earthlings, From NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins
We talked to Rubins about the experiments she conducted on board the ISS, her very first spacewalks, and what it feels like to crash-land on Earth after months in microgravity.
Are You Ready to Swallow a Pill Full of Poop?
Fecal transplants may be a miracle cure for some of our nastiest illnesses. Just say Ahhh …
A Smarter Way to Compare Birth Control Methods
It’s easy to find sites listing efficacy rates and side effects, but you rarely get a sense of what it's like to live with a given method of birth control every day.
Cool Catchphrase, Hillary, But Science Isn't About Belief
When Hillary Clinton said that she believed in science, she scored a campaign hit, but made it harder for people to understand how science works.
No One Nerds Out Over Space Science Quite Like NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins
Kate Rubins is a biologist-turned-astronaut who's studied infectious disease in a biosafety level 4 facility and on the ground in Congo.
The Devils Hole Pupfish Just Can't Catch a Break
Last month, three wasted dudebros decided it would be a good idea to go offroading into one of the most important conservation sites in the country.
Take a Digital Magnifying Glass to an Epic New Map of Pluto
This new global map is blurry in spots, but that's because it includes every single image that New Horizons took between July 7 and 14.
A New Crop of Marijuana Geneticists Sets Out to Build Better Weed
There are thousands of strains of weed. Cracking their genetic codes may be the key to transforming pot from a budding business to a high-flying industry.
The Debunkers of a Gay Marriage Study Just Re-bunked It, Sort Of
A famous faked study gets proved right—by the people who unmasked it in the first place.
The Nameless Mouse Behind the Largest-Ever Neural Network
This is the true story of a Harvard lab mouse, whose brain is now at the center of one of the most impressive functional brain maps ever.
SpaceX's Rocket Loses Its Battle Against a Robot Boat (Again)
On the fifth encounter between Space’s Falcon 9 rocket and its autonomous drone barge, the rocket’s first-stage booster crashed into the boat. Hard.
Psychology Is in Crisis Over Whether It's in Crisis
The psychology establishment is fighting back against an attack on its reliability. But it might be letting emotion get in the way.
Watch Scott Kelly's Historic Return to Earth From the ISS
Today, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly will squeeze into a Soyuz capsule and leave the International Space Station for the first time in more than a year.
CDC Sees Birth Defects in Pregnant US Travelers With Zika
Today, the CDC released some of the first evidence of a connection between Zika and microcephaly in Americans who contracted the virus while they were traveling.
A Rainbow Unicorn Wants to Transform Biology Publishing
The spread of knowledge in the life sciences is about to mash down the accelerator.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Rocket Took Off and Landed—Again
Today, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin accomplished a first among firsts: It launched and brought back to Earth the same New Shepard rocket that it landed for the first time back in November.