Chau Tu is an associate editor at Slate Plus. She was formerly the story producer/reporter at Science Friday, where she pitched, wrote, and edited articles for the website.
Before joining SciFri, Chau basked in the sun back in her hometown of Los Angeles, where she contemplated the true meaning of the numbers at Marketplace, learned to name off the latest speakeasys and tasting menus for Modern Luxury magazines, and stained her fingers black at the Los Angeles Times. Here and there, she parlayed her interests in culture, fashion, and music into writing for various independent publications. She’s also written about science for The Atlantic and Motherboard.
Chau loved L.A. before it was cool. She is a journalism graduate of the University of Southern California, roots for the Dodgers and Lakers, and is well-versed in the life-affirming qualities of a good taco. She used to be tan.
The Mysterious ‘Alien Soil’ Growing Deep Underground
These labyrinthine ecosystems can be found growing on cave walls.
How to Listen to Data
Scientists, composers, and programmers are experimenting with methods of conveying data audibly.
16:51
How To Hunt For Life As We Don’t Know It
Astrobiologists are looking at unusual environments on Earth for clues on how to search for life elsewhere in the solar system.
To Get to Europa, Think Like MacGyver
A look at the idea lab where scientists are preparing for a fly-by mission to one of Jupiter’s icy moons.
An Algorithm to Identify Every Tree
Researchers are hoping a computer algorithm can help track the health of our urban forests.
Bringing Color Back To The Dead
Conservators at the American Museum of Natural History are experimenting with how to recolor fading taxidermy displays.
Space, Seen Through A Window
Astronaut Don Pettit has taken thousands of mesmerizing images during his three missions to the International Space Station.
5:08
Mushrooms as Tough as Leather
A San Francisco start-up has developed a fungal material that can sub for leather, wood, and even plastic.
The Fungi In Your Future
A new start-up reimagines fungi as a multi-faceted, “programmable” material.
Seeing The Patterns In Sound
A pair of artists finds ghostly imagery in sound vibrations.