Sam Kean
Sam Kean

Sam Kean is the best-selling author of The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist’s Thumb. His new book, Caesar’s Last Breath, about the secrets of the air, came out July 18.

Slate Plus
May 8 2014 3:09 PM“I Thought About Skipping the Phineas Gage Story”Sam Kean on why he decided to write about neuroscience’s most famous patient. Jeff Friedrich and Sam Kean
Science
April 6 2014 11:47 PMRIP, K.C.A man with amnesia taught us how memories become personal.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 27 2012 8:30 AMBlogging the Human GenomeAccording to his published DNA sequence, James Watson should be blind, deaf, and have a tiny head. Why doesn’t he?Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 25 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeHow yam farming contributed to the rise of sickle-cell anemia.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 23 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeWhy a mother can’t give cancer to her fetus—usually.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 19 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeThe chromosomal evidence that mankind nearly went extinct.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 17 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeDid STDs help human beings evolve?Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 13 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeHow a mutation on chromosome 16 gave Elizabeth Taylor her amazing double eyelashes.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 11 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeThe nasty fight between scientists that resulted in the sequencing of the human genome.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 9 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeHow genetics—and a very dirty diaper—nearly killed off Darwinism.Sam Kean
Books
Nov. 28 2011 7:14 AMThe Inventor in HollywoodRichard Rhodes explores Hedy Lamarr’s other career.Sam Kean
Elements
June 10 2011 7:18 AMThe Best Anagram Ever, and Other Silly Periodic Table GamesSam Kean
Elements
March 1 2011 10:19 AMThe Sort of Sad Death of the Mercury ThermometerSam Kean
Elements
Oct. 19 2010 11:34 AMBoron: It's What Makes the Hope Diamond BlueSam Kean
Elements
Aug. 6 2010 10:58 AMCarbon: The Source of Life—and of the Longest Word Ever To Appear in PrintSam Kean
Science
May 6 2014 11:32 PMPhineas Gage, Neuroscience’s Most Famous PatientEach generation revises his myth. Here’s the true story.Sam Kean
Human Genome
Oct. 3 2013 8:31 AMIs Junk DNA Really Junky?The delicious, religious debate over what most of our genome is good for.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 26 2012 6:01 AMBlogging the Human GenomeDid Lincoln have Marfan syndrome? Did Darwin have smoldering hepatitis? The strange allure of retro-diagnosis.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 24 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeHow Emiko inherited Mayumi’s cancer.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 20 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeChim-chim-cheroo. Why so many London chimney sweeps suffered scrotal cancer.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 18 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeHumans have long enjoyed nonhuman lovers—the proof is in our DNA.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 16 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomePossible genetic proof that cannibalism was disturbingly common in our past.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 12 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeMuscular dystrophy, Cri du Chat, “immigration delay disease”: When DNA fails.Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 10 2012 6:00 AMBlogging the Human GenomeWill men go extinct?Sam Kean
Chromosomes
July 9 2012 5:45 AMBlogging the Human GenomeGroucho, smurf, faint sausage, and other ridiculous gene names.Sam Kean
Culturebox
Aug. 17 2011 10:03 AMWhere Did Those Naked Ladies Come From?How the Chinese edition of my book about the periodic table got such a risqué cover.Sam Kean
Elements
June 6 2011 10:06 AMTungsten: Could It Solve Our Space Junk Problem?Sam Kean
Elements
Dec. 3 2010 5:53 PMArsenic and Old LifeSam Kean
Elements
Aug. 9 2010 7:13 AMUnunseptium: Ugly Name, Beautiful ElementSam Kean
Elements
Aug. 5 2010 6:50 AMTungsten: There's No W in Tungsten. Why Do Some Elements Have Such Confusing Symbols?Sam Kean

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