Freelance science writer & communicator. Co-author of #BraveGreenWorld.
Interests include #Evolution #AnimalBehaviour #Conservation #Sustainability #Climate #Science #Wildlife
| Website | www.claireasher.co.uk |
| Etsy | www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CuriosityCreative |
| Pronouns | She / her |
RE: https://mastodon.social/@RobotTalkPod/116498989143726251
This week's episode of Robot Talk covers a topic particularly close to my heart - visual navigation in ants and bees.
Andy's research is fascinating and it was lovely to hear him talk with such enthusiasm about social insects and what roboticists can learn from them.
Definitely worth a listen!
Plastic pollution is a global environmental crisis, but what if we could design plastics that automatically deconstruct after use?
My latest article for @mongabay looks at a recent study that used clever chemistry — inspired by the way DNA, RNA, and proteins break down — to do just that.
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/promising-breakthrough-creates-plastics-that-self-deconstruct-on-cue-study/ #PlasticPollution #Chemistry #CircularEconomy
Plastics have a gigantic built-in problem: They’re tenacious, which is very good for a milk jug or a car bumper. But they don’t easily break down, which is bad for the environment. From the 1950s, when plastics were first produced in significant amounts, through 2017, the petrochemical industry churned out more than 8.3 billion metric […]
Really interesting interview with George Monbiot on Zack Polanski's podcast.
We need more conversations like these. https://youtu.be/3xx6lNFx8tI?si=lTWPXAcub3EDsCRA #Climate #Politics
📢 New Episode Alert!
In the first episode of the new season, I chatted to Prof. Frances Zhu from the Colorado School of Mines about intelligent robotic systems for space exploration. 🤖 🪐
Listen now: https://www.robottalk.org/2025/10/03/episode-127-frances-zhu/ #Robots #Robotics #Space #AI #Autonomy #Rover
Tropical soils appear to be more sensitive to warming than previously thought.
In a field experiment in Puerto Rico, warming understory plants and topsoil by 4°C increased CO2 emissions by between 42% and 204%, depending on the terrain.
My latest article for @mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/warming-triggers-unprecedented-carbon-loss-from-tropical-soils-study-finds/ #Climate #Soil #TropicalForests
Climate warming could cause much greater soil carbon losses in the tropics than previously predicted, with potentially dire consequences for the global climate, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Tropical forests store around a third of the world’s soil carbon and exchange more CO2 with the atmosphere than any other land biome. […]
In my latest feature for @mongabay, I look into the current state and future prognosis of the soil carbon sink.
It stores an astonishing 2.5 trillion metric tons of carbon (in just the top 2m!), but is at risk of becoming a net CO2 source as the climate warms. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/soil-carbon-crucial-ally-or-potential-threat-to-net-zero-commitments/ #Ecology #Climate #Soil #NetZero
The daily destruction of nature’s carbon stores is happening right before our eyes, as forests are ravaged by catastrophic wildfires and vast tracts of wildlands are cleared for agriculture. But even greater stores of carbon lie hidden beneath our feet, and they too are under threat. The world’s soils are a gigantic carbon sink that […]
I'm absolutely thrilled to see my lovely and very talented friend Matthew Hutchinson interviewed in @TheGuardian this week about his experiences as a black doctor in the NHS.
I'm really looking forward to reading his book when it comes out! https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/01/youre-the-only-port-of-call-for-400-hospital-patients-which-is-absurd-matthew-hutchinson-on-the-perils-of-life-as-an-nhs-doctor
He’s a rheumatologist, a standup comedian – and now the author of a memoir. He talks about racism in healthcare, why Covid was the only time urgent care was properly staffed – and his beef with cardiologists
Ever wondered how scientists would solve a crime in zero-G?
My latest story for @sciencefocus looks at how forensic science might work on the ISS.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/heres-how-astronauts-will-soon-solve-murders-in-space #CSI #Forensics #Space
🗣️ It's your chance to have your say!
What topics would you like to hear more about in Robot Talk Season 6?
Select your favourite topic in the poll below or leave a comment to suggest a different topic you'd like me to cover!
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