Joel Achenbach
Joel Achenbach
Reporter

Joel Achenbach has been a staff writer for The Washington Post since 1990, started the newsroom’s first online column, “Rough Draft,” in 1999, and started washingtonpost.com’s first blog, Achenblog, in 2005. His seventh book, “A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea,” an account of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and its aftermath, was published in April 2011. His other books include “The Grand Idea: George Washington’s Potomac and the Race to the West” (2004) and “Captured By Aliens: The Search for Life and Truth in a Very Large Universe” (1999). His syndicated column Why Things Are (1988-1996), which he began when he worked at the Miami Herald, appeared in 50 newspapers; three collections of the column were published by Ballantine Books. He has been a regular contributor to National Geographic since 1998, writing stories on such topics as dinosaurs, particle physics, earthquakes, extraterrestrial life, megafauna extinction and the electrical grid. Now assigned to The Post’s national desk, he writes on science and politics. A 1982 graduate of Princeton University, he has taught journalism at Princeton and Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Mary Stapp, and three daughters.

Latest by Joel Achenbach

Dozens killed in huge Okla. tornado

Dozens killed in huge Okla. tornado

At least seven children killed at elementary school; death toll from storm expected to rise.

Huge tornado kills scores in Okla.

Huge tornado kills scores in Okla.

The state medical examiner’s office said 51 people have been confirmed killed and that officials are expecting 40 more bodies.

Why are you you and not someone else?

Why are you you and not someone else?

Mucking around with brain-boggling philosophy

Part of Hurricane Sandy’s legacy may be better storm forecasting

Part of Hurricane Sandy’s legacy may be better storm forecasting

The National Weather Service plans computer upgrades with funding it got as a result of the storm.