Smooth operator

An ecosystem evolves across thousands of years, a biological interaction that is both intricate and fragile. The arrival of a new species can disrupt the balance, as we have seen in Britain with grey

In this new series, I’ll explore just how clever plants are, the complex ways in which they respond to the environment around them, the adaptations they make and the survival strategies they employ. I

My hungry eyes were scanning leaves and twigs for anything ‘bug’. It was evening and the light was fading fast in the Arizona forest, particularly here in the understory. I don’t know what made me do

Yossi Yovel The Genius Bat Understanding our most mysterious mammal 336pp. Oneworld. £20. Philosophy begins with wonder, according to Plato and Aristotle. As for philosophy, so, and more so, for biolo

Australia is a long way from anywhere and has been for a very long time. The landmass definitively separated from the supercontinent of Gondwana around 40 million years ago and, since then, has existe

SNAKE EYES Dr Bryan Fry (left) with Will ...