Carl Zimmer (born 1966) is a popular science writer and blogger, especially regarding the study of evolution and parasites. He has written several 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. He 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. 
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).
- American Association for the Advancement of Science's Science Journalism Award 2004, 2009, and 2012
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2007 Science Communication Award newspaper/magazine/internet
- The Pan American Health Organization's Award for Excellence in International Health Reporting
- American Institute of Biological Sciences Media Award 1997 
- Everett Clark Award for Science Writing
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
- United States National Academy of Sciences Communication Award
- Member of the USA Science & Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty, a collection of the most influential scientists and engineers in the United States that are dedicated to reinvigorating the interest of young people in science and engineering.
- Zimmer, Carl (1998). At the water's edge : macroevolution and the transformation of life. New York: Free Press.
- Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures (2001) ISBN 0-7432-0011-X
- Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea (2001) ISBN 0-06-019906-7
- Soul Made Flesh (2004) ISBN 0-7432-3038-8
- Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins (2005) ISBN 0-06-082961-3
- The Descent of Man: The Concise Edition (2007) ISBN 0452288886
- Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life (2008) ISBN 0-375-42430-X
- The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution (2009) ISBN 0-9815194-7-4
- Brain Cuttings (2010) ASIN B0045U9UFM (electronic book)
- Brain Cuttings: Further Explorations of the Mind (2011) ASIN B006C9OV1W (electronic book)
- A Planet of Viruses (2011) ISBN 0-226-98335-8
- Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed (2011) ISBN 978-1-4027-8360-9
- Evolution: Making Sense of Life (2012), co-authored with Douglas Emlen. ISBN 1-936-22117-9