Philip Bethge, Ph.D., is a science, technology and business editor with Germanys leading news magazine DER SPIEGEL. While working as a wildlife biologist (PhD, University of Tasmania), Philip studied the Australian Platypus and the Little Blue Penguin in Tasmania, Australia. His passion is his music.
Please read Philip’s award-winning DER SPIEGEL cover story on conservation (with Rafaela von Bredow & Christian Schwägerl) (PDF). Here you can enjoy Philip Bethges Ph.D. on the Australian Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus (PDF). And please don’t forget to watch platypuses foraging at Lake Lea in Tasmania. Finally, please listen to Philip’s band, Hansagold.
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Awards: Reuters-IUCN-Media Award 2008, Regional Winner Europe (2008) // Shortlist Georg von Holtzbrinck-Preis für Wissenschaftsjournalismus (2018, 2023 und 2024) // Shortlist Umsicht-Wissenschaftspreis der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (2020 und 2022)
Stories
The Dark Brew: Starbucks Faces Landmark Lawsuit Over Alleged Slavery in Brazil – Brazilian plantation workers are suing the world’s largest coffee chain in a Washington, D.C. court, alleging forced labor and trafficking. The case could fundamentally change … more
The Future of Electric: Tesla Joins the Race for the Next-Gen Battery – China, Japan and South Korea have long been in the lead when it comes to car battery technology. With new technologies and better production methods, Tesla now wants to change that. Germany is falling behind. … more
Is Nuclear Power the Solution to Climate Change? – Paul Dorfman and Staffan Qvist both want to save the climate. But one of them wants to rid the world of nuclear reactors while the other wants to build more of them. We brought them together for a debate. … more
What the Coronavirus Does Inside the Body – SARS-CoV-2 does much more damage to the human body than initially assumed. It can attack any number of organs and even penetrates the brain. But why do some people experience worse symptoms than others? … more
A Former Military Operative Sets Sights on Poachers – Faye Cuevas worked in the U.S. military intelligence for 17 years and has hunted terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, as part of a conservation program, she’s turning her skills to fighting poachers in Kenya and saving protected species in the region. … more
Can Nuclear Power Offer a Way Out of the Climate Crisis? – Billionaires and leading researchers in the United States are developing next-generation nuclear reactors that are small, reputedly safe and suitable to modern power grids. … more
Jane Goodall Interview: ‘Even Chimps Understand Sustainability’ – Jane Goodall spent years observing chimpazees in the wild. She discovered that the animals can commit murder and wage war. As an environmentalist, the British activist now spends more time observing humans — and says she still has hope for humanity. … more
Monsanto Faces Blowback Over Cancer Cover-Up -A release of internal emails has revealed that U.S. agrochemical giant Monsanto manipulated studies of the company’s herbicide, Roundup. Experts believe the product causes cancer – and the consequences for the company could be dire. … more
Miracle Crop: India’s Quest to End World Hunger – Over one third of humanity is undernourished. Now a group of scientists are experimenting with specially-bred crops, and hoping to launch a new Green Revolution — but controversy is brewing. … more
‘Paradise Lost’: How To Help Our Oceans Before It’s Too Late – In the past 50 years, Earth’s oceans have been depleted and acidified to alarming degrees. Sylvia Earle, a longtime marine scientist, explains her plan to save at least a small part of them — along with our planet. … more
Hydropower Struggle: Dams Threaten Europe’s Last Wild Rivers – Europe’s last remaining wild rivers flow through the Balkans, providing stunning scenery and habitat to myriad plants and animals. But hundreds of dam projects threaten to do irreparable harm to the region’s unique biospheres — to provide much needed electricity to the people who live there. … more
Interview with Edward O. Wilson: The Origin of Morals – American sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson is championing a controversial new approach for explaining the origins of virtue and sin. In an interview, the world-famous ant reseacher explains why he believes the inner struggle is the characteristic trait of human nature. … more
Interview with George Church: Can Neanderthals Be Brought Back from the Dead? – In a SPIEGEL interview, synthetic biology expert George Church of Harvard University explains how DNA will become the building material of the future — one that can help create virus-resistant human beings and possibly bring back lost species like the Neanderthal. … more
Papua New Guinea’s Royal Trophy: Are Collectors Key to Saving Giant Butterfly? – Papua New Guinea is home to the world’s largest butterfly, but oil palm plantations are threatening the rare species’ habitat. Conservationists and local residents alike would like to save the species by lifting a ban on trade in the butterfly and selling it for thousands of dollars to collectors. … more
Feeding the Dream: Business Inside the World of the Hollywood Paparazzi – Paparazzi have a bad reputation for bending the rules to satisfy the world’s insatiable demand for celebrity photos. But the business is also incredibly lucrative, something that prompted Bill Gates’ Corbis photo agency to buy the world’s top paparazzi shop. Some in the industry are trying to free it from its sleazy image, but upstart agencies have few moral qualms. … more
A Passion for Bigfoot: Hiking the Redwoods with California’s ‘Squatchers’ – Amateur researchers in the United States continue to eagerly search for the mysterious creature known as Bigfoot, staking out California’s redwood forests at night in their hunt for the elusive beast. Despite many claimed sightings, the existence of Sasquatch has never been proven. Yet that hasn’t stopped the obsessed from pursuing his giant footprints. … more
US Futurologist Michio Kaku: ‘Eternal Life Does Not Violate the Laws of Physics’ – In his best-selling book “Physics of the Future,” American professor Michio Kaku lays out his vision for the world in 2100. Kaku, the son of Japanese immigrants, spoke to SPIEGEL about a future in which toilets will have health monitoring sensors and contact lenses will be connected to the Internet. …. more
Lear Jets of the Deep: Private Submarines Gain Popularity with Millionaires – A new class of private submarines has become the latest plaything for the super rich. They allow would-be adventurers to navigate the wonders of the coral reefs, explore shipwrecks or even to cruise alongside dolphins. The cheapest models start at $1.7 million, but prices can go as high as $80 million. … more
The Stench of Money: Canada’s Environment Succumbs to Oil Sands – Canada is home to the world’s third largest oil reserves. But extracting the black gold is difficult, and threatens to destroy both the surrounding environment and the homeland of native tribes. With protests growing against a planned US pipeline, the oil sands controversy threatens to spread south. … more
Nathan Myhrvold on Modernist Cuisine: ‘Culinary History Has To Be Analyzed Like Art History’ – In a SPIEGEL interview, inventor and chef Nathan Myhrvold, the author of the new book “Modernist Cuisine,” discusses the deployment of laboratory equipment in the kitchen, the preparation of the perfect cheeseburger and the practice of hyperdecanting — using a blender to serve wine. … more
Brooke the Immortal: An American Child May Hold Secrets to Aging – Brooke Greenberg is almost 18, but she has remained mentally and physically at the level of a toddler. An American physician is trying to uncover the child’s secret, because he wants to give mankind the gift of eternal life. … more
Saving Moon Trash: Urine Containers, ‘Space Boots’ and Artifacts Aren’t Just Junk, Argue Archaeologists – California has named the remains of the Apollo 11 mission a state historical resource — to the delight of the young profession of space archaeologists. They fear that the trash and equipment left behind by the United States’ journeys to the moon could someday wind up for sale on eBay if they aren’t protected. … more
Modern Day Flintstones: A Stone Age Subculture Takes Shape in the US – A modern-day Stone Age subculture is developing in the United States, where wannabe cavemen mimic their distant ancestors. They eat lots of meat, bathe in icy water and run around barefoot. Some researchers say people led healthier lives in pre-historic times. … more