Laurel Hamers

Laurel Hamers

Live Science Contributor

Laurel Hamers is a writer specializing in science, medicine and the environment. Now based in Oregon, she was previously a staff writer at Science News magazine in Washington, D.C. Laurel holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Williams College in Massachusetts and is a graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program.

Articles by: Laurel Hamers

Make fire by friction with with flint and steel.

Why does striking flint against steel start a fire?

By Laurel Hamers published

What's the science behind starting a fire with flint and steel?

Neutrinos, conceptual computer artwork.

What's the fastest thing on Earth?

By Laurel Hamers published

Particles from space are constantly zooming into Earth. But which one is the speediest?

Geirangerfjord, Western fjords, Norway.

Why does Norway have so many fjords?

By Laurel Hamers published

Fjords, many of them sculpted over many ice ages, can form all over Earth. So why does Norway have so many?

Close-up of costume diamonds in a black background.

Is anything harder than a diamond?

By Laurel Hamers published

Diamonds are naturally hard, but is there anything from Earth, space or even a lab that's harder?

Here we see an orange/red crab with a pale yellow underbelly with its two claws raised in the air. It is on a sandy beach.

Why do animals keep evolving into crabs?

By Laurel Hamers published

Crabby bodies are so evolutionarily favorable, they've evolved at least five different times. So why does this process, known as carcinization, keep happening?

Red and blue bar magnet or physics magnetic with iron powder magnetic field on white background.

Why do magnets have north and south poles?

By Laurel Hamers published

Spinning electrons may help explain why magnets have north and south poles.

A photo of a sunset in the desert. It is a flat sandy lanscape, with several small hills popping up here and there. You can just make out two people who have climbed up a mountain in the distance. The location is Qesm Safaga, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt.

Why are deserts dry?

By Laurel Hamers published

Deserts are found around the world, including next to oceans. But why are these regions dry?

woman lying in bed in a dark room, holding a hand to her head as if in pain

Migraines and blood sugar issues share common genetic risk factors

By Laurel Hamers published

A large genomic analysis suggests migraines and blood sugar-related conditions have a shared genetic basis.