About Scott LaFee

Scott LaFee

Scott LaFee

Scott LaFee is a viviparous, omnivorous, longitudinally symmetrical carbon-based male biped and staff member of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Since 1992, he has been the chief writer for Quest, the paper's award-winning weekly science section, where he covers all manner of scientific news and features, from the inner workings of the brain to the physical nature of "nothingness" -- the stuff between stuff.

LaFee has written two syndicated columns for Creators. Archives of Eureka! can be found here. Or read Wellnews  - new releases weekly.  

He is married with two young sons, whom he coaches in soccer and swimming when not explaining why dead spiders' legs curl up (failed hydraulics) or how 8 feet of DNA can be squeezed into every cell (very carefully).

LaFee lives in La Mesa, Calif., with his hominid family and their several nonhuman pets: two tortoises, three fire-bellied toads, a rat, a rabbit and a dog named Dave.

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Old School Sep 03, 2025

Conventional wisdom suggests that higher levels of education directly protect against cognitive decline and brain aging. That is, if you're a college graduate, you're less likely to experience dementia compared to people with less formal education. A... Read More

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H2Oh, Really? Aug 27, 2025

All water is fundamentally composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms — two of the former, one of the latter. But you might think otherwise when perusing grocery store shelves where you can purchase alkaline water, electrolyte water, water with spec... Read More

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Mercury Microbe Aug 20, 2025

Human activities like coal burning and gold mining can cause mercury pollution in the air, which eventually settles into water, where it is absorbed into the food chain, resulting in the risk of mercury poisoning in apex predators like bluefin tuna &... Read More

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Smoky Notes Aug 13, 2025

As every oenophile knows, wines that convey hints of smoke or woodiness are generally the result of winemaking techniques, particularly oak aging. They are often appreciated. But as wildfires become more frequent and intense in wine-growing regions, ... Read More