Nikk Ogasa

Nikk Ogasa

Staff Writer

Nikk Ogasa is a staff writer who focuses on the physical sciences for Science News, based in Brooklyn, New York. He has a master's degree in geology from McGill University, where he studied how ancient earthquakes helped form large gold deposits. He earned another master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His stories have been published in Science, Scientific American, Mongabay and the Mercury News, and he was the summer 2021 science writing intern at Science News.

All Stories by Nikk Ogasa

  1. photo of large leaves from a tropical plant taken from below the forest canopy
    Climate

    Some leaves in tropical forests may be getting too hot for photosynthesis

    Climate change may be forcing some tropical leaves to stop photosynthesis and die. It’s still unclear what effect this will have on entire forests.

  2. An illustration of the convergence of two black holes and yellow gravitational waves rippling through space.

    Recoiling black holes could move at nearly one-tenth the speed of light

    Knowing black holes’ speed after being kicked by gravitational waves can reveal how much energy converging black holes can release.

  3. A photo of a busy street with people walking around and cars on the road. Heat haze can be seen on the road.
    Climate

    July 2023 nailed an unfortunate world record: hottest month ever recorded

    Roughly 6.5 billion people, or 4 out of 5 humans, felt the touch of climate change via hotter temperatures during July.

  4. A photo of a man facing away from the camera and pouring water out of a 2-liter jug onto his head.
    Climate

    Here’s how much climate change increases the odds of brutally hot summers

    Climate change made 2023’s record-breaking heat waves in the United States, Mexico, China and southern Europe much more likely, new simulations show.

  5. A photo of a temperature board in Phoenix, Arizona showing 110 degrees and the time 1:22 p.m.
    Climate

    What’s causing this summer’s extreme heat waves?

    Climate change and meandering jet streams are fomenting this summer’s extreme waves of heat.

  6. A digitally illustrated image of the Earth in a frying pan hovering over an open set of flames.
    Climate

    Last week was the hottest ever recorded — here’s why we keep smashing records

    Global temperature records are being shattered as El Niño and climate change combine to push the Earth into uncharted territory, researchers say.

  7. An illustration of an Anomalocaris canadensis underwater.
    Paleontology

    This ancient, Lovecraftian apex predator chased and pierced soft prey

    Half a billion years ago, Anomalocaris canadensis probably used its bizarre headgear to reach out and snag soft prey with its spiky clutches.

  8. A drone photo of a southern stretch of the North American boreal forest burnt by wildfires.
    Climate

    The snow forest of North America may be about to shrink

    From 2000 to 2019, the boreal forest’s northern boundary didn’t move while southern tree cover thinned due to climate change, wildfires and logging.

  9. A photo of a dusty barren ground with the tree line seen in the middle distance.
    Ecosystems

    The Amazon might not have a ‘tipping point.’ But it’s still in trouble

    Scientists race to foretell the fate of the vast forest facing deforestation and climate change.

  10. an aerial image of the Halaco Engineering Company site
    Environment

    Rising groundwater threatens to spread toxic pollution on U.S. coastlines

    Sea level rise is pushing groundwater into shallower layers of earth, threatening to spread hazardous chemicals from contaminated soils.

  11. A close up photo of a screwworm on a red background.
    Life

    50 years ago, flesh-eating screwworms pushed scientists to mass produce flies

    "Fly factories” dreamed up in the early 1970s have helped North and Central America keep screwworms in check for decades.

  12. An illustration of blue-gray clouds with bright blue and orange dots of light scattered throughout the image.
    Planetary Science

    Jupiter’s lightning bolts contort the same way as Earth’s

    Jovian lightning extends in jagged steps as it does on Earth, data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft suggest. The finding might aid the search for life.