freelance science journalist and author
Thoughts on writing
I’ve been at this science journalism thing for nearly a couple of decades now, but I’m still – perhaps even more than ever – fascinated by how writers write; where the ideas come from, how they decide who to interview, how they research, how they structure, how it all comes together, and what they take … Continue reading How I write
I’ve just listened to the first Longform podcast interview with legendary science journalist Ed Yong, which took place in the first weeks of the pandemic in New York, when the honks and rumbles of ordinary traffic had been replaced by the banshee wails of sirens, and temporary morgues were being set up in New York’s … Continue reading What now?
I was delighted to be invited on the Book Talk Today podcast, to talk with Aun Abdi about climate change, how we can get to carbon zero, and my new book with Wired UK and Penguin Random House UK.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, I got to join Dr Karl and astrophysicist Professor Tara Murphy in the Triple J studio with Linda Marigliano, and talk science with Triple J callers. We had questions coming in on everything from whether burning hydrocarbons in fossil fuels add water to the hydrosphere to why some people … Continue reading Talking science on Triple J with Linda Marigliano and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
When I started out as a freelance science writer, I assumed that my entire workload would come from the metropolitan daily newspapers or major international science magazines. Those were the places where I read about science, so I figured they were all there was to be experienced in the world of science journalism. Barely a … Continue reading Got a story pitch? Here are some outlets you might not have thought of
(An edited version of this was delivered as a speech at the 2016 Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival) So I’m a huge nerd, both in the writing sense and the science sense. In highschool, I used to write essays … for fun. I used to read books about science, purely for the delight I took in learning … Continue reading The privilege and responsibility of being a science journalist
Am I a science journalist or a science communicator? It might seem like a pointless question to ask, but as someone whose day-to-day living kinda of revolves around this issue, it’s actually quite important. Contemplating this led me to realise that I actually don’t really know what the point of difference is between a science … Continue reading The demise of science journalism and rise of science communication?
I recently took part in a panel discussion looking at traditional publishing versus e-/independent/self-publishing, as part of the Blue Lab Creative Industries Symposium. It was a useful exercise, in that it made me look at exactly why I have chosen – and intend to keep choosing – the traditional publishing route for my books. My … Continue reading The pros and cons of traditional publishing
(I wrote this piece about ten years ago about my trip to the Korean Bath House in Sydney’s Kings Cross, and never managed to find a home for it. Rather than let it die in the electronic shadows, I thought I’d publish it here). I’m a big fan of nudity. In my bedroom, with the door … Continue reading Memories of a Korean bath house
Most days, I’m writing about fairly serious—albeit very interesting—stuff. Like this week, for example, there are stories about nanomedicine, bilateral mastectomy, the development of strategic thinking in children, and the environmental hazards of microplastics. But every once in a while, an absolute gem comes along that makes it into my Tales For Dinner Parties folder. … Continue reading Weird, wacky, and wonderful
Bianca Nogrady 