Parents Dick Zimmer Name Carl Zimmer | Role Science writer Siblings Ben Zimmer Spouse Grace Farrell Zimmer | |
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Books Parasite Rex, Science Ink: Tattoos of the Sci, A Planet of Viruses, Evolution: Making Sense of, Microcosm: E coli and the New Similar People Dick Zimmer, Ben Zimmer, Charles Darwin Profiles |
Carl zimmer science writer extraordinaire
Carl Zimmer (born 1966) is a popular science writer and blogger who has specialized in the topics of evolution and parasites. He has authored many books and contributes science essays to publications such as The New York Times, Discover, and National Geographic. He is a fellow at Yale University's Morse College.
Contents
- Carl zimmer science writer extraordinaire
- Carl zimmer explains the crispr dna editing system in 90 seconds
- Career
- Awards
- References

Zimmer describes his journalistic beat as "life" or "what it means to be alive." He is also the only science writer to have a species of tapeworm (Cestoda) named for him.

Carl zimmer explains the crispr dna editing system in 90 seconds
Career

Besides his popular science writing, Zimmer also gives frequent lectures, and has appeared on many radio shows, including National Public Radio's Radiolab, Fresh Air and This American Life. He has won many awards, including the 2007 National Academies Communication Award, a prize for science communication from the United States National Academy of Sciences, for his wide-ranging coverage of biology and evolution in newspapers, magazines and his blog. In 2009 and 2010 he was host of the periodic audio podcast Meet the Scientist of the American Society for Microbiology (replacing Merry Buckley).

Zimmer received his B.A. in English from Yale University in 1987. In 1989, Zimmer started at Discover magazine, first as a copy editor and fact checker, eventually becoming a contributing editor.