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Sam Kean Biography

Sam Kean is a writer in Washington, D.C. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, Psychology Today, and The New Scientist. He has also published four books which discuss scientific discoveries in a narrative style. His books received positive reviews in The Wall Street Journal Library Journal, and The New York Times. He was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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Sam Kean Quotes

Because our lungs regularly deal with carbon dioxide, they see nothing wrong with absorbing its cousin, SiO2, which can be fatal. Many dinosaurs might have died this way when a metropolis-sized asteroid or comet struck the earth 65 million years ago.

Cousin, Earth, Fatal, Regularly, Sio2, Years

So if big enough droplets fell far enough fast enough, someone floating right near the metallic hydrogen layer inside Jupiter maybe, just maybe, could have looked up into its cream and orange sky and seen the most spectacular show ever--fireworks lighting up the Jovian night with a trillion streaks of brilliant crimson, what scientists call neon rain.

Neon, Night, Orange, Rain, Seen, Show

Lithium tweaks many mood-altering chemicals in the brain, and its effects are complicated. Most interesting, lithium seems to reset the body’s circadian rhythm, its inner clock. In normal people, ambient conditions, especially the sun, dictate their humors and determine when they are tuckered out for the day. They’re on a twenty-four-hour cycle. Bipolar people run on cycles independent of the sun. And run and run.

Cycle, Independent, Interesting, Lithium, Normal, Running

Never underestimate spite as a motivator for genius.

Genius, Motivator, Spite, Underestimate

Art, in other words, betrays a sexy mental fitness.

Art, Betray, Fitness, Sexy, Words

In these days before antiseptics, doctors themselves also suffered high mortality rates. Florence Nightingale, a nurse during the Crimean War (1853-1856), watched one particularly inept surgeon cut both himself and, somehow, a bystander while blundering about during an amputation. Both men contracted an infection and died, as did the patient. Nightingale commented that it was the only surgery she'd ever seen with 300 percent mortality.

Contracted, Cut, Cutting, Men, Rates, War

Mendeleev, unlike the squeamish Meyer, had balls enough to predict that new elements would be dug up. Look harder, you chemists and geologists, he seemed to taunt, and you’ll find them.

Balls, Elements, Looks, Squeamish, Would Be

If anything runs deeper than a mathematician’s love of variables, it’s a scientist’s love of constants.

Deeper, Mathematicians, Running, Scientist, Variables

Iron is the final peal of a star’s natural life.

Finals, Iron, Life, Natural, Peal, Stars

John Searle

John Searle

Sally Nicholls

Sally Nicholls

Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey

Harry Styles

Harry Styles

J. R. Smith

J. R. Smith

Bobby Bragan

Bobby Bragan

Ron Sexsmith

Ron Sexsmith

Alan Licht

Alan Licht

Vikram Batra

Vikram Batra

Victor Ponta

Victor Ponta

Vanessa Veselka

Vanessa Veselka

Phil Gingrey

Phil Gingrey