Joshua A. Krisch

Joshua A. Krisch

Live Science Contributor

Joshua A. Krisch is a freelance science writer. He is particularly interested in biology and biomedical sciences, but he has covered technology, environmental issues, space, mathematics, and health policy, and he is interested in anything that could plausibly be defined as science. Joshua studied biology at Yeshiva University, and later completed graduate work in health sciences at Cornell University and science journalism at New York University.

Articles by: Joshua A. Krisch

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is a species of canid native to the wilderness and remote regions of North America.

Mind-controlling parasite turns wolves into pack leaders

By Joshua A. Krisch published

A parasite that can alter animal behavior is changing the habits of infected wolves in Yellowstone, increasing aggression and goading them into taking greater risks.

Impressions of the extinct Ediacaran fossils: Dickinsonia (center) and the smaller anchor-shaped Parvancorina (left), in sandstone at the Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia.

Scientists just found a hidden 6th mass extinction in Earth's ancient past

By Joshua A. Krisch published

A global drop in oxygen levels about 550 million years ago led to Earth's first known mass extinction, new evidence suggests.

The burning of fossil fuels accounts for 90% of the world's carbon emissions.

Global CO2 emissions are cooking the planet and 'show no sign of decreasing,' report warns

By Joshua A. Krisch published

Staving off the worst impacts of climate change means preventing global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. But CO2 emissions are so high that we are slated to cross that line within a decade.

Scientists recently found that crows are capable of grasping a complex cognitive principle known as recursion.

Crows outthink monkeys, can grasp recursive patterns

By Joshua A. Krisch last updated

In cognitive tests for recognizing certain types of patterns, crows outperformed monkeys.

Over tens of thousands of years, a massive ice sheet covered and then exposed land masses in northwestern Europe.

Watch an ancient ice sheet cover the British Isles then vanish, in eerie time-lapse animation

By Joshua A. Krisch published

The rapid decline of the British-Irish Ice Sheet thousands of years ago may hold lessons for how melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will influence sea-level rise in the future.

After damaging parts of Cuba and leaving much of the country in the dark, Hurricane Ian reached Florida’s west coast on the afternoon of Sept. 28.

Is Atlantic hurricane season getting worse (and is climate change to blame)?

By Joshua A. Krisch published

Recent studies have linked climate change to environmental conditions that fuel hurricane season.

Visual representation of Otodus megalodon’s predatory attack on a small whale, with possible origin of the crushed vertebra.

Terrifying megalodon attack on whale revealed in 15 million-year-old fossils

By Joshua A. Krisch last updated

A megalodon tooth found suspiciously close to two fractured whale vertebrae may reflect one small whale's heroic escape from the jaws of a giant prehistoric shark.

Two gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands.

Are penguins really monogamous?

By Joshua A. Krisch published

It depends on how you define monogamy.

I'm walkin' here! An epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia.

Video reveals baby steps of newly hatched ‘walking’ sharks

By Joshua A. Krisch published

Epaulette sharks can use their fins to "walk" underwater and even on dry land.

A Y-shaped protein called an antibody.

COVID-19 antibodies may fade, but vaccine hopes have not

By Joshua A. Krisch published

We are not yet sure how long COVID-19 immunity lasts, but experts agree that there is little cause for alarm and that a vaccine will likely still be successful.

People waiting in line and wearing face masks in Reading, PA on April 25, 2020.

What is herd immunity?

By Joshua A. Krisch last updated

Scientists use herd immunity to describe the point at which a population is sufficiently immune to a disease to prevent its circulation.

Social distancing rules limit seating in Singapore in March 2020.

Is the coronavirus airborne? Evidence is scant, infectious disease experts say

By Joshua A. Krisch published

The most important ways to prevent transmission are still the same, whether SARS-CoV-2 spreads via tiny droplets or larger ones.

A person in the kitchen preparing a healthy meal looking tired.

Keto diet may cause temporary flu-like symptoms. Here's what to expect.

By Joshua A. Krisch published

The first few weeks of a keto diet may come with a spate of flu-like symptoms, including nausea, fatigue and dizziness, according to a new study.

3D-rendering of an influenza virus.

Scientists may be 'on the cusp' of a universal flu vaccine

By Joshua A. Krisch published

We may be one step closer to a universal flu vaccine, according to a new study.

A person checking their heart rate with a smartwatch.

A 'normal' resting heart rate may not be so normal after all

By Joshua A. Krisch last updated

A new study finds that resting heart rate can vary between individuals by up to 70 beats per minute, calling into question how physicians use one of the most fundamental vital signs.

A newborn baby.

US life expectancy finally ticks upward. But it's too soon to call it a trend, experts say

By Joshua A. Krisch last updated

Although CDC data suggest an increase in life expectancy as of 2018, the U.S. continues to lag behind comparable countries.

Syringes with heroin on table.

Declining Life Expectancy in America 'May Be the New Norm'

By Joshua A. Krisch published

U.S. life expectancy is declining mostly among "working age" Americans.

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: