Oh captain, our captain: Ars staff remembers Patrick Stewart
“For huge numbers of people, I will always be Jean-Luc Picard. … We created an admirable individual.”
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Jennifer Ouellette
Senior Writer
jennifer.ouellette@arstechnica.com
Jennifer is a senior reporter at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. She has been writing professionally about physics and related topics for more than two decades, and was the founding director of the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange from 2008-2010. Her work has appeared in Discover, Slate, Smithsonian, Nature, Physics World, and Quanta, among other publications. She previously worked as science editor for Gizmodo, and is the author of four popular science books, most recently The Calculus Diaries (2010) and Me, Myself And Why (2014). Professional highlight: appearing on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in February 2011 and winning one of the show’s coveted “Golden Harmonicas.” Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. BlueSky: @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social
Recent stories by
Jennifer Ouellette
Review: You Can See Everything blurs the view of Elizabeth Holmes’ deceit
Disgraced founder of Theranos has some people falling for her act all over again.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Buckle up for more body-swapping hijinks in Jumanji: Open World trailer
“We have to be ready for whatever’s coming next. If we lose in here, there won’t be a home to go back to.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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Warner Bros. drops final trailer for Dune: Part Three
“After years of combat, I’ve become the oppressor Chani had sworn to fight.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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Sculpture re-creates odd optical effects of famed Lycurgus Cup
University of Sheffield researchers figured out how to re-create the 1,600-year-old glass recipe.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Meet the real-life Scottish surgeon who inspired Sherlock Holmes
Lindsey Fitzharris chats with Ars about her new book, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Ink droplets in motion snag top prize in Nikon Small World contest
Ole Bielfeldt of Germany captured a microscopic view of an inkjet printer depositing ink onto paper.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Sauron recruits his future Ringwraiths in Rings of Power S3 trailer
“I will take my place as the conqueror, a sorcerer, a king.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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Most Read
Review: Carrie is a triumphant remix with one major flaw
Mike Flanagan’s re-imagining of Stephen King’s classic is well worth watching.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Review: Lanterns is a truly unique twist on the superhero genre
Gritty HBO series is a beacon for what’s possible when one is allowed to get creative with the tropes.
Jennifer Ouellette
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What did the Liberty Bell sound like? Science is on the case.
Researchers hunted for clues in modal analysis of 20th-century replica bell at Penn State Behrend.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Greta Gerwig channels Bowie in psychedelic The Magician’s Nephew trailer
“Have you ever seen a world born?”
Jennifer Ouellette
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High-speed video reveals how honey bee stingers pump venom
Co-author: “The unique geometry of the valves is the key; they act as collapsible pistons” to deliver venom.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Review: 4-hour Musk documentary feels like two different films
Alex Gibney’s provocative film is compelling but overlong, and there’s not much new here for Ars readers.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Prime Video unveils Blade Runner 2099 full trailer at NYCC
Also: New trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to Takashi Yamazaki’s kaiju epic Godzilla Minus One.
Jennifer Ouellette
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AI disqualification yields new Nikon Small World in Motion winner
New winner is Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam for video of a roundworm and single-celled Dileptus.
Jennifer Ouellette
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RIP Margaret Hamilton, whose code saved the Apollo 11 Moon landing
Hamilton also coined the term “software engineering” and founded two successful software companies.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Review: Fine, let’s talk about Digger
Its excesses may try one’s patience at times, but the film sticks the landing with a savagely moving finale.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Neutrino physicist wins 2026 Nobel Physics Prize
Francis Halzen of University of Wisconsin-Madison led development of IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
Jennifer Ouellette
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New forensic evidence supports Egyptian “retainer sacrifice”
Fresh analysis of First Dynasty mass burials finds signs of fatal blunt force trauma on 39 percent of skulls.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Lions and cheetahs and chimps, oh my: A spotlight on Africa’s diverse wildlife
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners, Loki) narrates NatGeo’s new documentary Africa: Earth’s Wild Home.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed
Also: Spooky action at the LHC, Ice Age psychoactive use, yeast for building homes on Mars, and more.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Marvel releases one last VisionQuest trailer
“This is a fight I likely won’t win. We have said goodbye before. But remember, family is forever.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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What butterfly wings have in common with barbershop poles
Wing patterns, flight dynamics create “motion dazzle” effect, make it harder to gauge speed, direction.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Scientists solve 1840s space weather mystery
19th century Nature account of 1841 train delayed by geomagnetic storm got year wrong—due to a typo.
Jennifer Ouellette
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We have a trailer for Musk documentary Elon called a “hit piece”
Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney focuses on the world’s wealthiest man.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Netflix releases trailer for Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn
“It’s film noir and a hard-boiled detective story, but it’s got a lot more comedy and a lot more action.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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Review: Resident Evil might just be the best gaming adaptation yet
Director Zach Cregger’s clever reboot strikes perfect balance between horror, humor, and over-the-top gore.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Review: Neagley is a worthy spinoff to megahit Reacher
It’s a bit uneven in execution but still delivers as fast-paced, entertaining escapist fare.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Meet the winner of Nikon’s Small World in Motion video contest [UPDATED]
Ning Xu of Tsinghua University captured tiny cilia beating in airways of a child with rare respiratory disorder.
Jennifer Ouellette
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A dolphin named Bubbles makes fish vomit, then eats upchuck
“Dolphins are predators and actively hunt their prey, whether it’s been stolen from another species or not.”
Jennifer Ouellette
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Lionsgate releases a new trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping
Also: Laika Studios debuts a stunning full-length trailer for its stop-motion feature, Wildwood.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Scientists develop new method for deciphering ancient scrolls
Even a handheld XRF scanner is sufficient to determine most promising scrolls for further analysis.
Jennifer Ouellette
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How chimps teach their kids tool tricks
Adults first demonstrate tool use, then hand over the implements to their infants, who copy the behavior.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Prehistoric builders transported Devil’s Arrows 11 miles
Isotopic analysis revealed the most likely source to be Brimham Rocks, not the nearby Plumpton Rocks.
Jennifer Ouellette
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Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics
Analysis revealed seed proteins from sesame and moringa, which held religious and symbolic significance.
Jennifer Ouellette
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