Birmingham City FC endured decades of disappointment after a curse was placed on the club in 1906. In the 80s, the manager tried to lift the curse by urinating on the 4 corners of the pitch. Voodoo schmoodo or clever psychology? My piece 4 @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Is your ill fate bad luck or a curse? You could ask Ted Lasso, but why not consider the psychology | Helen Pilcher

From Mayo to Birmingham City, sports lore is rife with powerful hexes. There’s nothing mystical about the dread and self-doubt they can induce, says science writer Helen Pilcher

theguardian.com

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Australia is the planet's extinction hotspot, but one animal offers a glimmer of hope

The country is home to some of the world's most unique species - but it is losing them at an alarming rate.

bbc.co.uk

Dogs appear to prefer to line themselves up with the Earth's magnetic field in order to do a poo. Also an opportunity to feng shui any doggy litter boxes in your home. Intel from @helenpilcher.bsky.social www.sciencefocus.com/nature/dog-p...

The weird reason dogs won't poop facing east or west | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Studies revealed that more often than not dogs align themselves with the Earth's north-south axis when pooping.

sciencefocus.com

With highly-pathogenic avian influenza now in NZ, we're taking steps to protect #kakapo and #takahe by vaccinating against the disease, following a successful trial. We're aiming for ~90 kākāpō and 100 takahē in an initial phase to protect the most valuable birds/sites. #conservation #birds

As wildfires rage, this may seem counterintuitive - but it's worth considering in some cases. When giant sequoias are set on fire in controlled, low-intensity 'prescribed' burns, they are more likely to survive natural wildfires. #science 🧪me 4 BBC #Wildlife www.discoverwildlife.com/plant-facts/...

1,900 giant sequoia trees saved from death in California. This is how | Discover Wildlife

Prescribed burns prevented almost two thousand giant sequoias from dying when wildfires tore through the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2020 and 2021 – and they could help more trees survi...

discoverwildlife.com

I'm doing a Reddit AMA today at 6pm GMT / 2pm ET about the role that our minds play in ill health and disease. Please share and ask me anything. #science 🧪 redd.it/1vamxvr

From the askscience community on Reddit: AskScience AMA Series: I'm Dr Helen Pilcher, former neuroscientist and author of 'This Book May Cause Side Effects'. It's about how our thoughts can create sym...

Explore this post and more from the askscience community

redd.it

Play is important for youngsters, but research tells us it's also important for adults. So for anyone struggling to entertain their kids this summer, take a beat. Make time to mess about & the challenge may feel less daunting. #science 🧪 Me 4 @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Make the kids’ summer holidays go with a bang – play together like orangutans | Helen Pilcher

With the news that the ginger giants arrange playdates for their offspring, scientists say messing about has health benefits for humans of all ages, says science writer Helen Pilcher

theguardian.com

Seeing or hearing about someone else with a symptom can prompt your brain to create genuine, distressing mirror symptoms. This is mass psychogenic illness & my worry is that social media is now making outbreaks more likely & more difficult to contain. #science #nocebo 🧪 apple.news/AJ3JVYE08Tim...

The placebo effect has a contagious evil twin, and it’s spreading faster than ever — BBC Science Focus Magazine

The ‘nocebo’ is the placebo effect’s ‘evil twin’. It can render medical interventions ineffective, conjure up adverse side effects or even lead to the real symptoms getting worse. So, when negative ex...

apple.news

Scientists find building blocks of birdsong's 'spectacular diversity' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Secrets of birdsongs' 'spectacular diversity' revealed

A scientific study has revealed the acoustic secret that connects all birdsong - and it is surprisingly simple

bbc.co.uk

Posting this because it's Thursday. Thursday, I tell you. Why isn't it Friday already?........... #science 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbP2...

Mushroom in the Wild Playing Keyboard

YouTube video by BionicandtheWires

youtube.com

Happy Publication Day (yesterday) to this beautiful book by @robertakwok.bsky.social. "A journey into the questions that keep scientists up at night - and the sometimes strange, always illuminating paths they take to answer them." Contains frogs 🐸 ❤️

The moment an orca blew up a sunfish by ramming it, but was this for food or fun? The jury is out. Here’s my story for BBC #Wildlife www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

Shameless plug alert! I’m talking at Edinburgh International Book Festival next month. Looks set to be a cracking discussion with Nick Barber and Gavin Francis about the mind’s role in health. Tickets still available. #nocebo #ThisBookMayCauseSideEffects www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/nick-...

Nick Barber & Helen Pilcher: The Mind-Body Connection | Edinburgh International Book Festival

no description

edbookfest.co.uk

No, a snake can't outrun a human, because running, by definition, involves feet. BUT. The black mamba is said to reach speeds of 20 mph. It's also twitchy, aggressive and v venomous. So no challenging it to a race of any kind, y'hear me. #science 🧪 www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

"It can easily reach speeds of 14 miles per hour. Some say they can reach 20 miles per hour…" Can a person outrun a snake? | Discover Wildlife

If you think you could easily outspent a snake, think again…

discoverwildlife.com

Punky hair. Orange lips. White butt patch. Seems to like watching scientists as much as they like watching him! Only the 5th new species of African monkey to be discovered in the last 75 years. My story for BBC #Wildlife mag. #science 🧪 www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

Mysterious new monkey species with orange lips discovered in the Congo rainforest | Discover Wildlife

Known locally as lik­weli, the newly described African monkey has black fur and produces loud, roar-like vocalisations.

discoverwildlife.com

Moths aren’t attracted to light. They’re duped by it. They orient themselves by tilting their backs toward it, then end up circling, banking & sometimes stalling. Not so much flying as falling with style! #teammoth 🧪 #science apple.news/AV77HGwfPRxq...

Moths may not actually be attracted to lights after all, say scientists — BBC Science Focus Magazine

Experts say something stranger is going on July 13, 2026 Why do insects fly into lights? Various explanations have been proposed, including that they use the Moon for navigation, or fly to light to he...

apple.news

You asked. We answered. They put lions on a treadmill. Me for BBC #Wildlife 🧪🧪 www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

Can a person outrun a lion? Just how fast is the King of Beasts? | Discover Wildlife

We don't actually recommend finding out..

discoverwildlife.com

And thank you for your brilliant research…

Liron Rozenkrantz@lironrozenkrantz.bsky.social · last mo.

A few years ago, @helenpilcher.bsky.social contacted me after reading our paper on nocebo effect during COVID. This week, I received "This Book May Cause Side Effects", with our lab and research featured inside! Thanks Helen! Your ability to make science both compelling *and* accurate is invaluable

Very happy that This Book May Cause Side Effects is in the Publishers Weekly top 10 science books to watch for the fall #science #nocebo www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Fall 2026 Fiction & Nonfiction Preview: Science

Medical breakthroughs, side effects of AI use, and histories of the natural world feature among this season’s science titles.

publishersweekly.com

When your book travels further than you ever have. #ThisBookMayCauseSideEffects Best read with beer. In Barbados. #science 🧪

Molecular clocks might tell us something about how we're aging, but it's vague and not predictive. I worry negative results cd make people feel predestined to an old age of frailty. Not good because beliefs can be physically transformative. #nocebo My column... 🧪 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A new test claims to tell how well you’re ageing – and even when you’ll die. But I’d rather not know | Helen Pilcher

I think I’ll leave new methods to measure biological age to the Kardashians. Too much knowledge about your mortality can be bad for your health, says science writer Helen Pilcher

theguardian.com

STFC - Science and Technologies Facilities Council Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026A www.ukri.org/opportunity/... Award range: £5,000 - £20,000 Total fund: £100,000 Need to have a subject matter expert involved, relevant subject areas are in next post.

Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026A

Apply for funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supported science.

ukri.org

Study shows that cats only help humans when there's something in it for them. Dogs, on the other hand, are the loyal, faithful, helpful companions I always knew them to be. My story for #science focus mag. #cats #dogs 🧪 apple.news/Ax8FnMwsTT1-...

Experts tested whether cats would help humans in trouble. The results were brutal — BBC Science Focus Magazine

There once was a stray Boston Terrier crossbreed called Stubby who served in the US Army during the First World War, where he warned soldiers of gas attacks and located wounded men. He served for 18 m...

apple.news

Want to win a copy of my new book? Just answer (correctly!!) one very easy question ... hughwarwick.substack.com/p/prize-give...

Book news - my audio book is out! Read by me. Best listened to with tea. Milk. No Sugar. And ideally a dog for good measure. Warning: This Audio Book May Cause Side Effects #nocebo #science #scicomm With thanks to @atlanticbooks.bsky.social

Bumble bees can apparently play with balls, count, recognize faces, & perceive rhythm. A new study out today in @science.org argues they can also solve novel tasks spontaneously without explicit training, challenging the idea that such cognitive skills are exclusive to large-brained vertebrates.😲🐝🧪👇

Spontaneous problem-solving in bumble bees

Problem-solving using novel solutions without explicit training is often considered a hallmark of cognitive flexibility. We investigated whether bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) could solve a novel obj...

science.org

‘To them a power line is a line of trees’: Costa Rica moves to protect howler monkeys from electrocution - The Guardian

How an innocent question from a 2 year old child prompted the discovery of a whole new class of worker #bee. My new fave piece of #science in @nature.com by Kai Wang. #Wildlife 🧪 Wd love to know of any other discoveries inspired by children. Mssg me please. www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

“That innocent question hit me like a lightning bolt." Scientist's two-year-old son inspires discovery of new type of worker honeybee | Discover Wildlife

Secrets of the hive unlocked thanks to child’s question.

discoverwildlife.com

Want to do a hedgehog PhD? Want a hedgehog on a banknote? And want to know how I beat Muhammad Ali? All in the latest update ... hughwarwick.substack.com/p/it-was-eit...

Intriguing and unusual #science -backed ways to de-escalate stress before it starts. My top 3: Be more playful Hang out with a dog Experience something awesome #scicomm #stress 🧪 Me for @sciencefocus.bsky.social apple.news/AKc_FYbuLQqm...

7 bizarre ways to protect your mind and body from stress — BBC Science Focus Magazine

Daily life is full of little stresses, and when they stack up, they can take a toll on our minds and bodies. Here’s how to protect yourself from the pressure

apple.news