photo of Aina Abell

Aina Abell

Editorial Assistant

Aina Abell is the editorial assistant at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Southern California. Before joining the staff in October 2020, she was the assistant editor at Pharmacy Today, a publication of the American Pharmacists Association, and a freelance writer for the American Heart Association. She has also taught English in Rouen, France. When she’s not nerding out about bonobos and ancient humans, she’s probably learning Arabic or attempting to make her favorite Filipino meals.

All Stories by Aina Abell

  1. An over head photo of a mug of coffee sitting on a white plate all sitting on a pink background.
    Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, scientists thought coffee might treat hyperactivity

    Decades of follow-up research into whether caffeine can treat the symptoms of kids with ADHD has come up with more questions than answers.

  2. A purple octopus as it sits on the ocean floor.
    Science & Society

    Sea life offers a lens for self-exploration in ‘How Far the Light Reaches’

    In a collection of essays profiling 10 marine animals, author Sabrina Imbler mixes in stories of their own family, self-discovery, sexuality and healing.

  3. Marcos Simões-Costa portrait
    Life

    Marcos Simões-Costa asks how cells in the embryo get their identities

    Marcos Simões-Costa combines classic studies of developing embryos with the latest genomic techniques.

  4. Tina Lasisi
    Anthropology

    Tina Lasisi wants to untangle the evolution of human hair

    Tina Lasisi is pioneering studies of human variation in an ethical and scientifically sound way.

  5. Jacky Austermann and William D'Andrea on the Bahamas' Crooked Island
    Earth

    Jacky Austermann looks to the solid earth for clues to sea level rise

    Jacky Austermann’s work could help inform practical climate change solutions for at-risk coastal cities.

  6. an aerial photo showing a solar farm. There are rows and rows of solar panels grouped into squares as far as the image stretches. The sun is low in the sky.
    Tech

    50 years ago, the future of solar energy looked bright

    In the 1970s, scientists and engineers were coming around to the idea of “farming” the sun’s energy on a large scale.

  7. a photo of human sperm
    Humans

    50 years ago, freezing sperm faced scientific skepticism

    In 1972, scientists debated the long-term viability of frozen sperm. Fifty years later, children have been conceived with sperm frozen for decades.

  8. a map of the milky way with dots that might indicate anti-matter stars
    Space

    These discoveries from 2021, if true, could shake up science

    Discoveries in 2021, from hidden subatomic particles to the oldest animal fossils, could shake up science. But more evidence is needed to confirm them.

  9. an illustration of connectiosn between neurons
    Neuroscience

    50 years ago, scientists were on the trail of ‘memory molecules’

    In the 1970s, scientists found the first “memory molecule.” Several other candidates have popped up in the decades since.

  10. Album cover of Experimental Words
    Science & Society

    The spoken word album ‘Experimental Words’ weaves rhyme with reason

    The spoken word album Experimental Words, a collaboration between researchers and poets, explores the intersection between science and art.

  11. sewage runoff pours out of a drainpipe
    Environment

    50 years ago, chemical pollutants were linked to odd animal behavior

    Fifty years after studies hinted that pollution interferes with how aquatic creatures communicate, scientists are still unraveling its myriad effects.

  12. a gloved hand holds plastic pack rings (to hold six canned beverages together), behind the rings is a beach
    Chemistry

    50 years ago, scientists developed self-destructing plastic

    In the 1970s, scientists developed plastic that could quickly break down when exposed to light. But that didn’t solve the world’s pollution problems.