How a little-known clergyman studying worms by candlelight in the 1700s inspired Charles Darwin – but didn’t get the credit he deserved

My passion for earthworms and ecology led me to continuing Darwin’s experiments in his own ‘back garden’

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
April 16, 2024 • ~22 min

The secret world of earthworms: meet the tiger worm and the nightcrawler

And why earthworms are careful to select a mate of the same size as themselves.

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
April 16, 2024 • ~8 min

The ‘worm moon’ once marked the spring return of earthworms – until global warming kicked in

The last full moon of winter can illuminate earthworms in newly-thawed soil.

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
March 26, 2024 • ~6 min

What is a ‘worm moon’ and does it still mark the start of spring?

The last full moon of winter can illuminate earthworms in newly-thawed soil.

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
March 26, 2024 • ~6 min

We designed wormlike, limbless robots that navigate obstacle courses − they could be used for search and rescue one day

Robots often have a hard time navigating through debris, but robots designed based on worms and snakes could move around obstacles faster, thanks to an idea called mechanical intelligence.

Christopher Pierce, Postdoctoral Scholar in Robotics, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 • ~8 min

Earthworms are our friends – but they will make the climate crisis worse if we're not careful

Thawing permafrost in the far north is an inviting prospect for invertebrate burrowers.

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
Nov. 13, 2023 • ~7 min

Guinea worm: A nasty parasite is nearly eradicated, but the push for zero cases will require patience

After nearly 40 years of effort, Guinea worm disease is on the cusp of being the second human disease – after smallpox – to be eradicated on Earth.

Kimberly Paul, Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Clemson University • conversation
Feb. 2, 2023 • ~7 min

Why do scientists care about worms?

'Worm' is really a catchall term for a huge variety of animals with different characteristics that span the tree of life. They hold clues about our own origins as well as hints about human health.

Helen Robertson, Postdoctoral Scholar of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago • conversation
Dec. 10, 2020 • ~7 min

Parasitic worms in your shellfish lead a creepy but popular lifestyle

Mud blister worms make their homes in the shells of oysters and other shellfish, where they weaken their hosts.

Andrew David, Assistant Professor of Biology, Clarkson University • conversation
June 3, 2020 • ~7 min

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