
Rachael Rettner
Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.
Latest articles by Rachael Rettner

Adorable dwarf giraffes spotted for the first time
By Rachael Rettner published
Too bad they'll have trouble mating.

COVID-19 was circulating silently in Wuhan even after the city reported no cases
By Rachael Rettner published
The researchers tested participants' blood samples for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 vaccines may cause allergic reactions in 1 in 100,000 jabs
By Rachael Rettner published
Overall, the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks, the CDC said.

10 ways COVID-19 changed the world
By Rachael Rettner published
Here are just some of the ways COVID-19 changed the world in 2020.

The strangest medical cases of 2020
By Rachael Rettner published
From a man with green urine to a teenager with a sewing pin in his heart, a number of intriguing medical cases caught our eye this year.

Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak
By Rachael Rettner published
The outbreak occurred at the a Chilean research base on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Doctors heard music when checking a man's pulse. Here's why.
By Rachael Rettner published
In addition to the thump thump of the man's heart, doctors heard music when checking his pulse.

Is the new UK coronavirus variant more contagious?
By Rachael Rettner published
The variant has a mutation that may make the virus "sticker" or allow it to bind more tightly to human cells.

Deadly 'brain-eating amoeba' has expanded its range northward
By Rachael Rettner published
You can thank climate change for this too.

FDA approves genetically engineered pigs for food and transplants
By Rachael Rettner published
Pigs that have been genetically engineered to be free of a molecule that triggers meat allergies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Why an Australian COVID-19 vaccine caused false-positive HIV tests
By Rachael Rettner published
The vaccine appeared safe and effective, but some participants falsely tested positive for HIV.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose
By Rachael Rettner published
Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose.

Mystery illness sickens more than 300 in India
By Rachael Rettner published
All patients tested negative for COVID-19.

Why did this man's urine turn green?
By Rachael Rettner published
After five days in the ICU, a man's urine turned green.

COVID-19 may have arrived in US by December 2019
By Rachael Rettner published
Researchers studied blood samples from December 2019, and found a small number tested positive for antibodies against the virus.

AI system solves 50-year-old protein folding problem in hours
By Rachael Rettner published
This complex problem that has plagued researchers for decades.

Ultrasound captures worms squirming in a man's stomach
By Rachael Rettner published
Doctors observed a "tubular ... structure that moved with a curling motion" inside his stomach.

CDC urges Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving
By Rachael Rettner published
The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is at home with people in your household, the agency said.

FDA authorizes 1st fully at-home COVID-19 test
By Rachael Rettner published
The test, made by Lucira Health in California, requires a prescription.

Olympic officials 'very confident' that next year's games in Tokyo will have spectators
By Rachael Rettner published
Japan was scheduled to host the Olympic Games in the summer of 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced officials to postpone the competition until 2021.

Wearing a cloth face mask protects you and others from getting COVID-19, CDC says
By Rachael Rettner published
Cloth face masks offer two-way protection, benefitting both the wearer and those around them.

Restaurants and gyms drove COVID-19 transmission this spring
By Rachael Rettner published
Restaurants were the riskiest venues for transmission, followed by gyms, coffee shops and hotels.

US tops 10 million coronavirus cases
By Rachael Rettner published
The country's total now stands at just over 10 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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