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
In an Australian city, birds are collecting handcuffs, medicine jars and banknotes. This is why
A new study in Queensland reveals that city-dwelling male great bowerbirds are using human items to impress females.
"A scale that has never been documented before in Greece." Falcon snatches 8 bats from the air in just 30 minutes
Bat predation by Eurasian hobbies has only been recorded a handful of times, making the sighting particularly significant.
“That innocent question hit me like a lightning bolt." Scientist's two-year-old son inspires discovery of new type of worker honeybee
Secrets of the hive unlocked thanks to child’s question.
"Stop, prevent your death! Go no further." 9 deadliest, most terrifying caves on the planet
For those who chose to explore them, caves are a source of fascination, but these can be dark, inhospitable places, full of twist and turns and tunnels and chambers says Helen Pilcher.
Can a human outrun a rhino? Just how fast are these giants when they charge?
You don't want to get in the way of these intimidating animals, as they can move faster than you think...
A carnivore has moved into Florida's Everglades – and it's threatening native crocodiles and alligators
The invasive spectacled caiman could be hampering efforts to restore the Everglades ecosystem, according to a recent review.
Scientists found a dead whale 1,288m deep in the Pacific. They filmed it for 20 years – and discovered this
Researchers studied a whale decomposing at the bottom of the ocean and found that its body sustains deep-sea creatures for decades.
"As the brood grew stronger, the mother grew weaker..." How one mother makes the ultimate sacrifice
Did you know the longest brooding period or ‘pregnancy’ of any known animal is a whopping four and a half years?
Scientists have started milking koalas. Here's what they're up to
Understanding the dynamics of koala milk can lead to improved care for orphaned joeys.
It might only be two metres wide, but don't be deceived as this feisty stream is highly treacherous and has a 100% fatality rate...
It's buried under 4,000 metres of ice yet doesn't freeze even though a chilly -3 °C – Discover the 15 million year-old lake that's the weirdest on the planet...
Buried beneath nearly two miles of Antarctic ice, Lake Vostok is one of the most isolated places on Earth – a hidden, ancient world that could reshape what scientists know about life in extreme environments
“This huge ‘cloud’ seemed to come out of nowhere. Suddenly frogs started to fall from the sky. I thought a plane carrying frogs had exploded..."
Just how long do glaciers take to give up their dead? Inside the chilling journey...
How long does it take for a glacier to transport a body from the depths of a crevasse to the surface if you fall in? We take a look...
5 saltwater crocodiles tracked through the misty mangroves of Bangladesh. Here's what scientists found – and why it matters
Researchers wanted to learn more about the movements of translocated and captive-reared crocodiles in the Sundarbans – one of the world’s largest mangrove forests.
"Incredibly emotional." Red-and-green macaws return to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest after 200-year absence
Freshly fledged red-and-green macaw chicks mark a major milestone in the recovery of the colourful birds along the Brazilian coast, say conservationists.
Robot sent deep into Atlantic Ocean. Its mission? To investigate the largest animal migration on Earth
The world’s largest animal migration and ocean gyres play vital roles in the global carbon cycle. Scientists went into the deep to learn more about this vital process.
East River DNA reveals secrets of life (and death) in New York
New Environmental DNA study sheds light on local wildlife and dietary habits of New Yorkers.
It's big enough to swallow cities, deep enough to hide skyscrapers and inside lies an ancient, thriving 'lost world' cut off from everything above
At the bottom of a vast limestone chasm in southern China, a self-contained forest has taken root in near-permanent shadow, creating an isolated ecosystem that feels more like a lost world than a place on Earth.
"We have watched and waited for this moment." World-first footage shows orangutan using canopy bridge to cross a road in North Sumatra
The orangutan can be seen carefully making his way along the rope structure, which was put up two years ago to provide the large primates with safe passage between forest fragments.
Galápagos deep-sea corals vanished for more than 1,000 years. Scientists think they know why
5,000 years ago, deep-water corals disappeared from the waters around the Pacific Ocean islands, study finds.
Fungi may survive extreme conditions of Mars and space, say scientists
New study suggests microbes could survive the long trip to Mars
These crabs are racing up the US coastline – and scientists think they know why
The mangrove fiddler crab is being found hundreds of kilometres north of its traditional range. Here's what's going on
Strange creature found inside jellyfish. Scientists say it's the "first time this behaviour is documented"
Jellyfish are known to consume almost anything – but we didn't know they ate this...
A great predator has returned the towering cliffs of Yosemite National Park
New peregrine nest sites herald a record-breaking year for the world’s fastest bird.
