Joel Achenbach

Joel Achenbach is a reporter for The Washington Post, and the author of seven books, including The Grand Idea, Captured by Aliens, and Why Things Are. A Washington Post staff writer since 1990, Achenbach writes about science and politics. He started the newspaper's first online column, "Rough Draft", and started the Washington Post's first blog, Achenblog. He regularly contributes science articles to National Geographic. A native of Gainesville, Florida and a graduate of Princeton University, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife and three children.