Carl Zimmer

Science Writer

Carl Zimmer is a science writer, lecturer, and frequent guest on such radio programs as Fresh Air and This American Life. His books include "Soul Made Flesh," "Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea," and "Parasite Rex." In addition to writing books, Zimmer contributes articles to The New York Times, as well as magazines including National Geographic, Time, Scientific American, Science, and Popular Science. He also writes an award-winning blog, The Loom. From 1994 to 1998 Zimmer was a senior editor at Discover, where he remains a contributing editor and writes a monthly column about the brain.

Zimmer is a lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches writing about science and the environment. He is also the first Visiting Scholar at the Science, Health, and Environment Reporting Program at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

Zimmer is a Big Think Delphi Fellow.

When War Gives Sickness a New Lease on Life

A horrendous disease called Sleeping Sickness was close to being eradicated but war in Sudan gave it a new lease on life.

Brain Speed: An Evolutionary Tradeoff

When I touch my finger to my nose I actually don’t want the signal from my nose to go too fast.

On the Strange Prevalence of Geek Tatoos

One of the most interesting ways to get into the minds of scientists is to look at their tattoos.

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What Would Your Science Tattoo Be?

Carl Zimmer’s blog, “The Loom,” often features pictures of readers’ science tattoos. Is he hiding any himself?

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6 min

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Carl Zimmer

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Why Your Brain Is Slow (And Fast, Too)

Your finger is farther from your nose than your brain. So when your finger touches your nose, why do both organs feel the sensation at the same time?

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5 min

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Carl Zimmer

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If You Were a Different Species…

Science writer Carl Zimmer has had a species of tapeworm named after him. It’s an honor, he says, that almost everyone on earth could conceivably share.

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4 min

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Carl Zimmer

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The Guests Inside Us

From parasites that alter our brain chemistry to a deadly organism decimating Sudan, the “Parasite Rex” author introduces the creatures that make themselves at home in our bodies.

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14 min

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Carl Zimmer

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Synthetic Bio: Beyond the Science Fair

MIT students now generate their own strains of e coli for class projects. But synthetic biology is about to get a whole lot bigger.

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5 min

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Carl Zimmer

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Mutating Viruses to Death

Could deadly viruses’ rapid evolution be turned against them? And could we ever control the pace of our own evolution?

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9 min

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Carl Zimmer

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Are We Part Flu?

Everyone knows we have hereditary viruses in our genome. What scientists are just learning is how many there are—and how many we’ve come to depend on.

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7 min

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Carl Zimmer

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Big Think Interview With Carl Zimmer

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50 min

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Carl Zimmer