Jess Cockerill is a journalist and fact-checker who always has an eye out for the wonders – and weirdness – of the natural world. Jess’s freelance writing has appeared in The Best Australian Science Writing, Overland, The Walkley Magazine, ScienceAlert and others. Before joining the ScienceAlert team in 2023, Jess interned at The Conversation and worked in print journalism at a regional weekly newspaper, The Mandurah Mail. They hold a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology, and completed graduate studies in Journalism. If they’re not at their computer, they’ve probably gone snorkeling.