Kevin Wheeler

Reporter, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences

@kdub_333

Kevin Wheeler, based in Peekskill, NY, covers Life Sciences and Physical Sciences for The Academic Times. Prior to that, Kevin wrote for Audubon Magazine, USA Today and KUT Public Media in Austin, Texas. He won the William J. Rowley Award for journalistic writing at the University at Albany. He graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2018.

Earthquake and gravity data suggest Red Sea 'must be' an ocean

By Kevin Wheeler
New research indicates that the Red Sea may not be a sea at all, because it is spreading like an ocean basin and has reached its young adulthood after 13 million years.

These pristine habitats carry lots of carbon. Tourism and agriculture threaten to release it.

By Kevin Wheeler
The Yucátan Peninsula's mangrove sinkholes are known sources of soil carbon, and researchers just found the most carbon-rich one yet, marking an important step in assessing the economic value of these ecologically vital areas — and highlighting the need for their conservation.

Scientists untangle how inbreeding has led to disease in dogs

By Kevin Wheeler
Researchers have uncovered the basis for a range of undesirable genetic variations in dogs, from golden and Labrador retrievers to Yorkshire terriers, pointing to the preservation of recessive mutations fostered over hundreds of years of inbreeding.

Potentially toxic pesticides are ubiquitous in U.S. waterways

By Kevin Wheeler
Many U.S. waterways contain pesticide levels that pose potential harm to aquatic life, according to a new study from the United States Geological Survey.

To assess allergy risk, a baby's first poop may be a good place to look

By Kevin Wheeler
A baby's first poop correlates with whether the newborn will develop allergies later on, because the metabolite content of this earliest excretion may play an important role in teaching an infant's immune system to accept stimuli ranging from peanuts to pollen.

Scientists used this familiar technology to study dolphins. Their field may never be the same.

By Kevin Wheeler
Marine scientists have discovered that using drones to monitor the physical condition of dolphins is nearly as accurate as examining a dolphin in person — but much easier to practice.

Less-extreme heat waves can still stunt insect growth

By Kevin Wheeler
Repeated exposure to sublethal heat waves can severely impede the development of the relatively hardy tobacco hornworm larvae, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of literature describing how the insect kingdom is faring as the world warms.

This genetic test could help vets prevent untreatable feline kidney disease

By Kevin Wheeler
Chronic kidney disease, a common killer of elderly cats, can only be managed, not treated. But U.S. researchers have invented a new genetic test that may help at-risk cats get the care they need before their kidneys start to fail.

A new 'baby galaxy' offers clues about the birth of the universe

By Kevin Wheeler
Researchers have uncovered a "baby galaxy" 12.4 billion light-years from Earth, whose discovery upends previous knowledge about galaxy formation in the early universe and may aid in the future identification of more hidden galaxies.

New types of respiratory cells may mark 'great advancement' toward preventing SIDS

By Kevin Wheeler
Scientists discovered new types of cells in the respiratory system's epithelial lining that could shed new light on the mysterious sudden infant death syndrome.

This rare bean could save the coffee industry

By Kevin Wheeler
The answer to the coffee industry's climate problem may lie in the forests of Sierra Leone, where there exists a newly rediscovered species of bean that researchers have now proven to grow at high temperatures and make a great cup.

Scientists used stem cells to create a hybrid human-monkey embryo

By Kevin Wheeler
Chinese researchers have successfully created chimeric embryos by combining human stem cells and monkey blastocysts, a groundbreaking advance with both practical and ethical implications for the future of medicine.