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04 Sep 2026

‘Marmots have money troubles too’: Prof Dan Blumstein on the origin of ‘OnlyMarms’ and what made it a roaring success

The story of Prof Dan Blumstein’s decision to share videos of the marmots in the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory’s field study on an OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms has captured the world over the last few weeks. 64 years of research into marmots can provide incredible insights into their evolution and socioecology, but the study is as expensive to run as it is valuable — and funding challenges have forced Blumstein, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA and Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Conservation Science, to innovate in new and surprising ways. In this instalment of Frontier Scientists, Blumstein explains to us why this long-running study of yellow-bellied marmots is so important for science, how funding losses are putting it at risk, and how he’s fighting back.

Social science

21 Aug 2026

The hidden high costs of ‘free-to-play’ videogames show players need better protection, scientists say

We know playing slot machines can trigger uncontrolled spending and addictive behaviors in some people. But what about paid-for features in ‘free-to-play’ games? Microtransactions like loot boxes or paid progression within a game can add up quickly and easily. In their new article in Frontiers in Public Health, Dr Markus Meschik and his colleagues investigate who spends the most among children playing these games, and how the heaviest spenders are affected, showing higher rates of traits associated with gambling disorder and gaming disorder. In this guest editorial, Meschik and coauthor Dr Mark Griffiths break down the hidden threat of microtransactions, and how regulation could tackle it.