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Helen Pilcher

Helen Pilcher

The Guardian

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I made my husband ill with a few words – nobody is immune to the power of the nocebo effect

I made my husband ill with a few words – nobody is immune to the power of the nocebo effect

For his last birthday, I gave my husband a monthly beer box subscription. While he saw it as a generous and delicious present, it spawned a...

yesterday 9

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

It’s official: scientists aren’t funny. But it doesn’t have to be this way

Science is an infamously dry endeavour. The noble practice seeks to answer humanity’s most inscrutable questions. How did life begin? What is...

04.04.2026 10

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Forget birdwatching, I’m into moth-watching: they’re fascinating and misunderstood insects

Do you ever worry that your brain’s slowing down and your mind is … what’s the word … fogging? If you do, I have news. A recent study on...

29.03.2026 10

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

So a cow can use a stick to scratch its backside. When will we learn that humans are really not that special?

21.01.2026 40

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Wild animals are great gift givers – and there’s one present in particular I’d love to receive for Christmas

25.12.2025 30

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Why do we find our pets so cute? Bold, bin-raiding raccoons may have a surprising answer

26.11.2025 20

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Leading conservationists just decided that genetically engineering wild animals is OK – sometimes. They’re right

23.10.2025 10

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine

09.10.2025 20

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

A giant insect that looks like a stick! What is not to love?

06.08.2025 20

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Animals keep evolving into anteaters. Could this be the future of humanity?

06.08.2025 20

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher

Have researchers really ‘de-extincted’ the dire wolf? No, but behind the hype was a genuine breakthrough

10.04.2025 20

The Guardian

Helen Pilcher