Why is everyone hoarding toilet paper? How can fungi help ecosystems recover after bushfires? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Mar 23 - 29 2020 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best and brightest from the world of science news, explore how scientists came to the conclusion that travel restrictions and social distancing could help slow the pandemic, and delve into the cleaning power of soap: possibly our best weapon in our struggle against disease. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

• This is why everyone is hoarding toilet paper by Kiona Smith for Ars Technica.

In times of crisis, it's monkey see, monkey do. Media portrayals of toilet paper shortages cause people to stockpile.
Credit: Sabine Heyer via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

• How effective are travel restrictions and social distancing? by Erica Curles for Sciworthy.
• How is the COVID-19 virus detected using real time RT-PCR? by Nicole Jawerth for International Atomic Energy Agency.
• Embracing complexity: COVID-19 is a case for academic collaboration and co-creation by Benedikt Fecher at Elephant in the Lab.
• How diseases rise and fall with the seasons—and what it could mean for coronavirus by Joel Goldberg for Science.
• EPA issues unprecedented “License to Pollute” during pandemic by NRDC.
• Working From Home by Athene Donald at Occam's Typewriter.
• Study finds huge potential for urban gardens to feed city dwellers by Mike Gaworecki for Mongabay.
• How fungi's knack for networking boosts ecological recovery after bushfires by Adam Frew, Andy Le Brocque,  Dale Nimmo, Eleonora Egidi, Jodi Price and Leanne Greenwood for The Conversation UK.
• Witness trees tell how ecosystems of Silicon Valley have changed by Andrew Trilica for Envirobites.
• Cleaning chemistry – the awesome power of soap by Kat Day at The Chronicle Flask.
• 3 possible models for why Uranus spins on its side by Mark R Smith at Physics Forums Insights.
• Animal ancestor primera by Ian Connellan at Cosmos Magazine.
• Astrophysicists perform test of String Theory by Sci-News.com.

To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!