Wikipedia

Adam Rutherford

Adam David Rutherford(born January 1975)[3][4][6]is a Britishgeneticistand science populariser. He was an audio-visual content editor for the journalNaturefor a decade, and is a frequent contributor to the newspaperThe Guardian.He formerly hosted theBBC Radio 4programmesInside Scienceand (withHannah Fry)The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry;has produced several science documentaries; and has published books related togeneticsand theorigin of life.[7]

Adam Rutherford
Rutherford atQED,2013
Born
Adam David Rutherford

January 1975 (age 49)[3][4]
Ipswich,Suffolk,England
CitizenshipBritish,New Zealand[5]
EducationIpswich School
Alma materUniversity College London(BSc, PhD)
Known forInside Science
Children3
AwardsDavid Attenborough Award and Lecture, 2021
Scientific career
Fields
ThesisThe role of CHX10 in the development of the mammalian retina(2002)
Doctoral advisorJane Sowden[2]
Websitewww.adamrutherfordEdit this at Wikidata

He is anhonoraryseniorresearch associatein the division of biosciences atUniversity College London.[1][8][9]

Rutherford became President ofHumanists UKin June 2022, succeedingAlice Roberts.[10]

Early life and education

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Rutherford, who is half-Guyanese Indian,[11]was born inIpswichin the East of England[12]and attendedIpswich School.[6]

He was admitted to themedical schoolatUniversity College London,but transferred to a degree inevolutionary genetics,[6]including a project underSteve Jonesstudyingstalk-eyed flies.[13][14]He was awarded aPhD[2]ingeneticsin 2002 byUniversity College Londonfor research completed at theUCL Institute of Child HealthatGreat Ormond Street Hospitalsupervised byJane Sowden.[2]His PhD investigated the role of the geneCHX10on eye development, with focus on the effect ofmutationsin this gene on the development ofeye disorders.[2]

Rutherford's other academic research was also on genetic causes of eye disorders, including the relation ofretinoschisintoretinoschisis,[15]the role of mutations of the geneCRXinretinal dystrophy,[16]and the role of the geneCHX10inmicrophthalmiain humans and mice.[17][18]

Career

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Rutherford talks withFrancesca Stavrakopoulou,Samira AhmedandGiles FraseratConway Hallin London in 2015.

Rutherford published a book on the topic of the creation of life. The United Kingdom printing has been called "two books in one",[19]sinceCreation: The Origin of LifeandCreation: The Future of Life[20]are printedback-to-backso that one can read the book from either end.[21]Among its topics, the first part of the book argues in support of the theory, first proposed byThomas Gold,that life emerged not in primordial warm ponds, but inextremophileconditions in the deep ocean,[22]while the second part discussessynthetic biology– the use ofgenetic modificationto createnew organisms.[23]In the U.S., this book is published in a more conventional format with the titleCreation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself.[24][20]He was also one of the authors whose works are included in the compilationThe Atheist's Guide to Christmas.[25][26]

Rutherford was the Podcast Editor[27]and the audio-video editor for the journalNatureuntil 2013, being responsible for all the publication's published audio, video, and podcasts. He also published audio interviews with notable personalities, includingPaul Bettanyon his role playingCharles Darwinin the movieCreation,[28]andDavid Attenboroughin his documentaryCharles Darwin and the Tree of Life.[29]He wrote editorials on diverse other topics, ranging from the overlap of art and science[30]to reviews of science-themed movies.[31]

Rutherford is a frequent contributor toThe Guardian,writing primarily on science topics.[32]He wrote a blog series covering his thoughts and analysis while re-reading Charles Darwin'sOn the Origin of Species,[33]and has written articles supporting the teaching ofevolutionin schools,[34][35]and criticizing the teaching ofcreationismas science.[36]

He also writes on religion, notably a 10-part series on his experience participating in theAlpha course,[37]and onNew Agethemes andalternative medicine,including a review critical ofRupert Sheldrake'sA New Science of Life,[38]and criticism of the lack of controls on advertising claims forhomeopathy.[39]

As a guest writer, he published an article inWiredon the possibility of using DNA for information storage.[40]

Rutherford has returned[when?]to University College London, where he is anhonorary senior research associatein the division of biosciences and teaches courses on genetics and communications.[9]

Broadcasting

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Rutherford frequently appears onBBCscience programmes, on both radio and television.[13]Since 2013, he has been the host[41]of the programmeInside ScienceonBBC Radio 4.[42]In 2012 he was featured on the seriesHorizononBBC Twotelevision in the documentaryPlaying God,[43]which covered synthetic biology using the example of the "Spider Goat",a goat genetically modified to producespider silkin its milk.[44]

In 2011 he presented, onBBC Four,The Gene Code,[45]a two-part series on the implications of thedecodingof thehuman genome,[46]and his documentary,Science Betrayed,[47]detailed the story of thediscredited linkbetween theMMR vaccineandautism.[48]In 2010,The Cell,his three-part series on the discovery ofcellsand the development ofcell biology,[49]presented on BBC Four,[50]was included inThe Daily Telegraph's list of "10 classic science programmes".[51]In 2006,Discovery Scienceproduced the six-episode TV seriesMen in White,in which three scientists, Rutherford, Basil Singer andJem Stansfield,applied science to the solution of everyday problems.[6]

He also appeared in BBC Radio 4'sThe Infinite Monkey Cage,withphysicistBrian Cox,physician and science writerBen Goldacre,authorSimon Singh,musicianTim Minchin,and comedians Helen Arney andRobin Ince,and withThe Infinite Monkey Cage Tour,the live show based on the programme.[52] Rutherford is a frequent guest on theLittle Atomsradio chat show,[53]and he has also acted as a science advisor on programmes such asThe Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!,and the filmWorld War Z.[13]

In 2011 he conceived and directedSpace Shuttles United,[54]a video and musical tribute to all theSpace Shuttlemissions.[55]

He co-presentedThe Curious Cases of Rutherford & FrywithmathematicianHannah Fry.In 2023 the programme aired its 21st series on BBC Radio 4. In October 2024 the series returned asCurious Cases,still with Fry butDara O'Briainreplacing Rutherford as co-presenter.[56]

In late 2022, he presented the seriesBad Blood: The Story of Eugenics,on BBC Radio 4. The series is based on his book,Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics.[57]

He is also a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4'sStart the Week.[58]

Public speaking and outreach

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Adam Rutherford speaking at QEDCon 2013, on the Origin and the Future of Life

Rutherford is a frequent speaker at scientific and academic events[59]and a guest at local science and sceptical events, such asSkeptics in the Pub.[60][61][62]

In 2013, he was an invited speaker at theQED conferencein Manchester,[63]and at the 2013 North East Postgraduate Conference,[64]and delivered the 11thDouglas AdamsMemorial Lecture at theRoyal Geographical Societyin London forSave the Rhino International.[65][66]In 2012, he delivered the annualDarwin DayLecture forHumanists UK.[67]In 2019, he delivered the Humanists UKVoltaire Lecture;the lecture formed the basis of his future bookHow to Argue With a Racist.[68]

Rutherford was a judge and host of the award ceremonies for the 2012 and 2013Google Science Fairs.[69]In June 2017, he participated in a public discussion withAlan Aldaat theUniversity of Dundee,on the occasion of Alda's receiving anhonorary degreefrom that institution.[59]In November 2017, he participated in a debate withRobert Winstonon the subject ofsuperhumansat theUniversity of Southampton.[70]

Books

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  • Creation: The Origin of Life/The Future of Life,Penguin Books (2014),ISBN9780670920440
  • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes,Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2016),ISBN978-0297609377– UK edition
  • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes,The Experiment (2017),ISBN978-1615194049– updated US edition
  • Genetics(illus. Ruth Palmer), Ladybird Books (2018),ISBN978-0718188276
  • The Book of Humans: The Story of How We Became Us,Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2018),ISBN978-0297609407
  • Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature—A New Evolutionary History,The Experiment (2019),ISBN9781615195312
  • How to Argue with a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality(2020)ISBN9781474611244
  • Rutherford and Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything(with Hannah Fry) (illus. Alice Roberts) (2021)ISBN9781787632639
  • Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics(2022)ISBN9781474622387

Awards and honours

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Personal life

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Rutherford is a founding member of the Celeriac XI Cricket club.[3]

References

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  1. ^abAdam Rutherfordpublications indexed byGoogle Scholar
  2. ^abcdRutherford, Adam David (2002).The role of CHX10 in the development of the mammalian retina.london.ac.uk(PhD thesis). University College London (University of London).OCLC498845531.EThOSuk.bl.ethos.252265.
  3. ^abcAnon (2012)."Rutherford, Adam David".Who's Who(onlineOxford University Pressed.). Oxford: A & C Black.doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U256643.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  4. ^abAnon (2018)."Adam David RUTHERFORD".companieshouse.gov.uk.London:Companies House.Archived fromthe originalon 16 January 2018.
  5. ^Rutherford, Adam."Kia ora, chur bro!".Twitter.Retrieved21 March2022.
  6. ^abcd"One of the zany Men in White".East Anglian Daily Times.4 October 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 14 July 2014.
  7. ^"BBC Inside Science – Adam Rutherford – BBC Radio 4".BBC.
  8. ^Adam Rutherfordpublications fromEurope PubMed Central
  9. ^ab"Dr Adam Rutherford".UCL Division of Biosciences. 10 August 2020.
  10. ^"Alice Roberts hands Humanists UK Presidency to Adam Rutherford".Humanists UK.Retrieved8 June2022.
  11. ^Rutherford, Adam (22 May 2012)."World Goth Day has roused dark memories in me".The Guardian.
  12. ^"Bin Laden more deadly as a martyr".Ipswich Star.6 May 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 14 July 2014.
  13. ^abcDr Adam Rutherford presents Radio 4's Inside Science,BBC Radio 4
  14. ^David, Patrice; Hingle, Andrew; Greig, Duncan; Rutherford, Adam; Pomiankowski, Andrew; Fowler, Kevin (1998), "Male sexual ornament size but not asymmetry reflects condition in stalk–eyed flies",Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,265(1411): 2211–2216,doi:10.1098/rspb.1998.0561,ISSN0962-8452,PMC1689512
  15. ^Grayson, Celene; Reid, Silvia NM; Ellis, Juliet A; Rutherford, Adam; Sowden, Jane C; Yates, John RW; Farber, Debora B; Trump, Dorothy (2000),"Retinoschisin, the X-linked retinoschisis protein, is a secreted photoreceptor protein, and is expressed and released by Weri–Rb1 cells",Human Molecular Genetics,9(12): 1873–1879,doi:10.1093/hmg/9.12.1873,ISSN0964-6906,PMID10915776,archived fromthe originalon 1 March 2014
  16. ^Bibb, Lindsay C; Holt, James KL; Tarttelin, Emma E; Hodges, Matthew D; Gregory-Evans, Kevin; Rutherford, Adam; Lucas, Robert J; Sowden, Jane C; Gregory-Evans, Cheryl Y (2001),"Temporal and spatial expression patterns of the CRX transcription factor and its downstream targets. Critical differences during human and mouse eye development",Human Molecular Genetics,10(15): 1571–1579,doi:10.1093/hmg/10.15.1571,ISSN0964-6906,PMID11468275
  17. ^Percin, E Ferda; Ploder, Lynda A; Jessica, J Yu; Arici, Kemal; Horsford, D Jonathan; Rutherford, Adam; Bapat, Bharati; Cox, Diane W; Duncan, Alessandra MV; Kalnins, Vitauts I (2000), "Human microphthalmia associated with mutations in the retinal homeobox gene CHX10",Nature Genetics,25(4): 397–401,doi:10.1038/78071,PMID10932181,S2CID9508022
  18. ^Rutherford, Adam D; Dhomen, Nathalie; Smith, Hazel K; Sowden, Jane C (2004), "Delayed expression of the Crx gene and photoreceptor development in the Chx10-deficient retina",Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science,45(2): 375–384,doi:10.1167/iovs.03-0332,ISSN1552-5783,PMID14744875
  19. ^Lane, Nick (6 April 2013),"Creation: The Origin of Life; The Future of Life, by Adam Rutherford – review",The Observer
  20. ^abRutherford, Adam (4 April 2013),Creation: The Origin of Life / The Future of Life,Viking, p.272,ISBN978-0670920440
  21. ^Lezard, Nicholas(28 January 2014),"Creation: The Origin of Life/The Future of Life by Adam Rutherford – review",The Guardian,retrieved2 February2014
  22. ^Forbes, Peter (27 March 2013),"Creation: The Origin of Life/The Future of Life by Adam Rutherford – review",The Guardian
  23. ^Long, Karen (21 June 2013),"'Creation' explains how science reinvents life ",Los Angeles Times
  24. ^Rutherford, Adam (27 May 2014),Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself,Current, p. 288,ISBN978-1617230110
  25. ^The Atheist's Guide to Christmas,Harper-Collins, 2 November 2010, p. 307,ISBN9780061997976
  26. ^Holland, Jessica (24 October 2010),"The Atheist's Guide to Christmas by various authors – review",The Guardian
  27. ^Archive by author: Adam Rutherford
  28. ^Rutherford, Adam (2009), "Q&A: Getting under Darwin's skin",Nature,457(7233): 1087,Bibcode:2009Natur.457.1087R,doi:10.1038/4571087b,ISSN0028-0836,PMID19242459
  29. ^Rutherford, Adam (2009), "Q&A: Building on paradise",Nature,457(7232): 967,Bibcode:2009Natur.457..967R,doi:10.1038/457967a,ISSN0028-0836,PMID19225509
  30. ^Abbott, Alison; Rutherford, Adam (2005), "Editorial: Artists on science: scientists on art",Nature,434(7031): 293,Bibcode:2005Natur.434..293A,doi:10.1038/434293a,ISSN0028-0836
  31. ^Rutherford, Adam (2003), "Cinema: Return of the mutants",Nature,423(6936): 119,Bibcode:2003Natur.423..119R,doi:10.1038/423119b,ISSN0028-0836
  32. ^Guardian, The,Adam Rutherford
  33. ^Rutherford, AD (9 February 2008),"Blogging Darwin",The Guardian
  34. ^Rutherford, AD (7 November 2008),"The evolution of science teaching",The Guardian
  35. ^Rutherford, AD (5 January 2009),"Evolution: the rules of engagement",The Guardian
  36. ^Rutherford, AD (2 February 2009),"Fools rush in",The Guardian
  37. ^Rutherford, AD (2009),"Alpha Male",The Guardian
  38. ^Rutherford, AD (6 February 2009),"A book for ignoring",The Guardian
  39. ^Rutherford, AD (23 October 2009),"Who's afraid of a homeopath's woo?",The Guardian
  40. ^Rutherford, AD (11 July 2013),"What better way to store data than zipped in DNA files",Wired
  41. ^Rutherford, AD (4 July 2013),"Radio 4 launches new weekly science show, Inside Science",The Guardian
  42. ^Rutherford, A,BBC 4 "Inside Science" Series
  43. ^Rutherford, AD (14 January 2012),"Synthetic biology and the rise of the 'spider-goats'",The Observer
  44. ^Marszal, Andrew (17 January 2012),"Horizon: Playing God, BBC Two, review",The Telegraph
  45. ^4, BBC Radio,The Gene Code,BBC Radio 4{{citation}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  46. ^Raeburn, Sandy (9 May 2011),"TV Review: The Gene Code – The Book of Life / Unlocking the Code",Bionews.org
  47. ^Rutherford, AD (17 March 2011),Science Betrayed
  48. ^"Science Betrayed: Reflections on research misconduct",BioethicsBytes,4 April 2011
  49. ^Rutherford, A,BBC Four: The Cell
  50. ^Wilson, B (12 August 2009),The Cell (BBC Four): TV review
  51. ^"Ten classic science programmes",The Telegraph,14 December 2010
  52. ^Hollingshead, Iain (10 December 2011),"Brian Cox and co: sexy science pulls in the crowds",The Telegraph,archived fromthe originalon 10 December 2011
  53. ^Atoms, L,Adam Rutherford on Little Atoms
  54. ^"Our love letter to the Shuttle",Of Schemes and Memes Blog,Nature Publishing Group, 21 July 2011
  55. ^Rutherford, A (21 July 2011),"Space shuttles united – a video tribute",The Guardian
  56. ^"Curious Cases".BBC.Retrieved7 October2024.
  57. ^"Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics".BBC.Retrieved28 December2022.
  58. ^"BBC Radio 4 - Start the Week, City living".BBC.Retrieved28 April2024.
  59. ^ab"An Evening With Alan Alda: Events".University of Dundee.Retrieved21 June2017.
  60. ^Jago, Crispian(23 April 2011),Adam Rutherford at Winchester Skeptics in the Pub
  61. ^"Synthetic biology, hip hop and the law",Soho Skeptics,14 February 2013
  62. ^"From Chuck D to Chuck D: Hip Hop, Remi xing and Synthetic Biology",Norwich Skeptics in the Pub,6 February 2014
  63. ^"Creation: the Origin and the Future of Life",Lanyrd
  64. ^"From Chuck D to Chuck D: Evolution, synthetic biology and the story of hip hop",2013 North East Postgraduate Conference,2013, archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2014
  65. ^The eleventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture – Dr Adam Rutherford & Stephen Mangan,1 March 2013
  66. ^Rutherford, AD (12 March 2013),"Eleventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture",British Science Association,archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2013
  67. ^"Darwin Day Lecture 2012",The Pod Delusion,2012
  68. ^"Humanists will always stand up to racism: the Voltaire Lecture 2019".Humanists UK.23 May 2019.Retrieved5 July2021.
  69. ^Sager, Christian (26 August 2013),"Who Judges Genius in Google's 2013 Science Fair?",Stuff of Genius
  70. ^"IDS 10th Anniversary Event".University of Southampton.
  71. ^"Andrew Motion announces shortlist for the Wellcome Book Prize 2014",Wellcome Trust,25 February 2014,retrieved26 February2014
  72. ^GrrlScientist (26 February 2014),"Wellcome Trust's Book Prize 2014 shortlist announced",The Guardian,retrieved26 February2014
  73. ^"Wellcome Book Prize 2017".Wellcome Book Prize.Retrieved7 March2019.
  74. ^"Royal Society David Attenborough Award and Lecture".Royal Society.Retrieved30 August2024.

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