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
Gigantic 10ft-wide raptors released in Patagonian mountains
The Andean condor is the largest raptor in the world and can live for up to 70 years.
With a population of 15 million this is the biggest mammal gathering on Earth – and it happens in Texas...
Forget festivals and sporting events, the Bracken Cave bat colony is considered to be the largest gathering of mammals on Earth
This whopping, record-breaking wasp's nest was 7 metres long – that's bigger than a Cadillac – and found inside a house
The world’s biggest wasp nest is longer than a Cadillac and shaped like a nose
Firestarter: They set the land ablaze from the sky – and then wait for their prey to run
Feathered arsonists spread fire to fill their bellies
It can be seen from space, is the equivalent to 8 football fields and could be 45 years old - but we have no idea how many families call it home...
The world’s biggest beaver dam is as long as the Burj Khalifa is tall
"It dies, roasted alive" – Meet nature’s 10 strangest killers that weaponise fire, wind and heat to kill
Meet the animals that turn heat, wind and fire into killing tools
Rare 9ft-tall 'camel birds' released into Saudi Arabian desert
The release is a milestone for an ambitious rewilding project in the country's northwest.
"It may sound freaky, but it can actually 'see' with its genitals"
Are these the weirdest genitals ever?
It might not have any ears, but that doesn't stop it having the best hearing in the animal kingdom. Here's why...
When it comes to having good hearing, it seems ears don't matter
"They use rudimentary spears to stab bushbabies while they sleep" 10 lethal predators that kill with weapons and other tools
These hunters don’t just rely on instinct—they use tools to outsmart and overpower prey
10 horrifying, deadly toxins with the power to harm – AND the capacity to heal and save lives
10 most violent animals on the planet: Inside the brutal battles and wars waged with their own kind
From queen-slaying ants to brawling kangaroos, these species reveal just how savage survival can be in the natural world
"Seeing them walk free was incredibly rewarding": 50 giant tortoises released on island in the Seychelles
The new castaways will help rewild the exclusive tropical island.
"The rats went bananas" Here's what scientists say actually happened on Easter Island
New data challenges the conventional narrative that humans were the main cause of deforestation on this remote Pacific landmass.
Scientists attached moss to the International Space Station. What happened next "genuinely astonished" them
The discovery could serve as a starting point for constructing ecosystems in extraterrestrial environments such as the Moon and Mars, say researchers
Do hibernating animals go to the loo?
20 meat-eating bats fitted with hi-tech backpacks. Scientists stunned to record them hunting like lions
The winged mammals use a ‘hang-and-wait’ strategy to successfully capture large prey, a new study finds.
Baboons filmed sharing meat like hunter-gather humans
The footage, captured in Senegal’s Niokolo Koba National Park as part of a study by the German Primate Center, shows Guinea baboons distributing meat in different ways.
The DNA fix that could stop extinction in its tracks – but should we use it just because we can?
Scientists are editing the DNA of wild animals, but should these species ever be released into nature?
Why researchers studied over 4,000 preserved songbirds from London’s Natural History Museum
Scientists wanted to find out why tropical songbirds are more colourful than their non-tropical counterparts – so delved into the Natural History Museum's collections
Whales speak in dialects and elephants have names for each other: The incredible secrets of animal language
From tweets to underwater songs, discover the astonishing ways animals use sound to survive and thrive
Why climate scientists spent 4 years tracking reindeer through Finland's northern wilderness
The researchers wanted to find out how the herbivores' grazing impacts the carbon cycle. Here's what they discovered
Scientists wore Dick Cheney masks and were mobbed by crows – here’s why
Researchers from the University of Washing found that crows would recognise and harass them – so they conducted an unusual experiment
