Helen Pilcher
Science writer, presenter and performer.
Helen Pilcher is a tea-drinking, biscuit-nibbling science and comedy writer, with a PhD in cell biology. She contributes regularly to BBC Wildlife and BBC Science Focus, and has penned many popular science books. Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth was The Times 2020 Science Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation. Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinction was Radio 2’s Fact Not Fiction Book of the Week, and was described by comedian Sara Pasco as ‘science at its funniest.’ In other news, Helen is science advisor to the Beano, and owns a genetically-modified wolf called Higgs. Her favourite bird is the kakapo, her favourite moth is the Merveille du Jour and her favourite beverage is a warm, milky brew; no sugar.
Recent articles by Helen Pilcher
Is it true that gorillas are permanently flatulent?
Better out than in, right?
What caused the Great Sheep Panic?
Experts, much like the sheep, are still baa-ffled.
Can you smell ants?
Expert advice: Don't stick your nose in an ants nest.
What is the deadliest creature in the UK?
Man’s best friend? Yeah, right.
Why do dogs like sticking their heads out of car windows?
They're not just feeling the wind in their fur...
Nature’s weirdest: This honking hammerhead bat has the world’s strangest nostrils
Meet the honking bat that looks like a cross between a horse and Yoda.
World’s weirdest animals: Meet the tasselled red river hog, nature's most dapper swine
The wild, red-coated, 'tufted pig' is a Yoda-lookalike from western and central Africa which, like Yoda, lives near swamps (and rivers).
World's weirdest: Meet the purple frog flaunting nature’s most bizarre backside
This unusual looking amphibian has a long sensitive snout, lives underground and has a ‘near threatened’ status.
Outlawed human embryo experiments could soon be made legal. Here’s why
The UK public recently backed a move to extend the 14-day limit on embryo research.
World's weirdest animals: Meet the great-eared 'goatsucker' nightjar bird
These nocturnal birds have ear-like feathery tufts on their heads, excellent night vision and a call which is said to be jarring.
Bed bugs UK guide: How to get rid of them, and how to spot an infestation
All you need to know about the recent outbreaks of these bloodsucking insects.
Why does my dog give me side eye?
Dogs showing the whites of their eyes – side eye – is a behavioural quirk our ancestors may have inadvertently bred for during domestication.
What is a sheepshead fish?
The sheepshead fish has human-like teeth helps it consume an omnivorous diet.
Where does the cuckoo learn its terrible behaviour?
The cuckoo tricks other birds into raising its chicks at the expense of the foster parents' own brood.
What is the mirror test?
This self-recognition test has been conducted on humans as well as animals.
Nature’s weirdest: This (ugly) shampoo ginger lily plant can make your hair look beautiful
The staggering benefits of the house plant, explained.
Shark week | How do shark teeth work?
There's a reason shark teeth are so prolific in the fossil record.
The Amazon rainforest: The wonders of Earth’s most unexplored wilderness, explained
Welcome to the world’s biggest, most beautiful, and most biodiverse rainforest.
What is a Chinese Giant Salamander?
If you like your salamander’s big, then this behemoth is for you.
What is a harpy eagle?
Meet the apex predator of the rainforest.
Hidden testicles and petrified urine: Why the hyrax is one of the world’s weirdest animals
This adorable creature is neither rodent nor rabbit.
Animals can experience time very differently to humans. Here's why
Studies suggest smaller animals may experience the world in slow motion, compared to humans.
World’s weirdest creatures: The fried egg jellyfish, the blobby invertebrate who could help beat cancer
How do you like your eggs? If the answer is, ‘fried, salty, and weirdly pulsing with life’ then read on.
How do parrots say human words without lips?
In humans, changing the shape of your mouth helps shape sound into speech.