Fossil findings: New Zealand’s giant penguin
Fifteen years after its discovery by a group of fossil-hunting schoolchildren, a giant fossilised penguin has been confirmed to be a new species.
About Me
I'm Sona, a science writer and biological natural sciences graduate from the University of Cambridge. I have experience across publications, press releases, and science writing for all ages. I am particularly interested in health equity, strange (cool) animals and plants, and the intersections of art and science.
So far, I have written about science and technology for The Economist, led the editorial team at the Young Scientists’ Journal, designed a cross-platform social media campaign to educate about antimicrobial resistance for the PAR foundation, and researched ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands for New Circle Films. You can currently find me working as a Senior Medical Writer at Costello Medical.
To commission me or learn more, please get in touch at sonapopat4@gmail.com.
Science Writing
Below are some of my most recent and favourite science articles, largely written whilst at The Economist or as a student journalist at university.
How to toilet train your cow (and save the planet)
Convincing cows to do their business in a latrine makes their waste easier to collect—and prevents ammonia emissions.
The effects of a warmer world are visible in animals’ bodies
Hundreds of species show signs of adapting to a warming climate.
Artificial chameleon skin can mimic its surroundings
A new camouflage technology using thermochromic crystals and silver nanowires.
The Babylonians used Pythagorean ideas long before Pythagoras
No need for a protractor. Surveyors used Pythagorean triples to measure out land.
Lead exposure during childhood has long-lasting effects
Higher levels of exposure seem to stunt social development.
How to avoid being seen: learning from the octopus
Part of the "Weird and Wonderful" series, Sona Popat discusses how octopus camouflage has inspired scientists and engineers to develop hydrogels that can change shape and colour in response to light.
Machine Learning can Help Predict New Uses for Existing Drugs
In an age of antibiotic resistance and viruses becoming more transmissible, new drugs need to be developed faster than ever. Sona Popat discusses a new machine learning framework developed to identify drug repurposing candidates and speed up the drug development process.
K is for Kleptoplasty
Part of the "Alpha-bet you didn't know that!" series. From chloroplast thievery to animals engineered to photosynthesise, Sona Popat takes us on a tour of the fabulous world of kleptoplasty, the animal X plant intersection we aren't taught enough about.
We can’t forget that scientific research is steeped in colonialism
Sona Popat explores the historical relationships of Black people with scientific research and argues, along with Tedros Ghebreyesus, that the “hangover from a colonial mentality has got to stop”.