Adam Rutherford
Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, author and BBC broadcaster who explores human ancestry, evolution and the history of race science through books, radio and public talks.
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Adam’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
- Where Are You Really From?2023 · Author
Book - Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics2022 · Author
Book - How to Argue with a Racist2020 · Author
Book - The Book of Humans2018 · Author
Book - A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived2016 · Author
Book - The Human Subject2024 · Co-presenter with Julia Shaw
BBC Radio 4
Overview
- From
- Ipswich, England
- Training
- Evolutionary genetics and a PhD in retinal developmental genetics at UCL
- Early career
- Editor at Nature, 2002–2013
- Wider audience
- BBC Inside Science from 2013 and A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived in 2016
Mini bio
How it started.
Adam trained in evolutionary genetics at UCL, studying sexual selection in stalk-eyed flies before moving into the genetics of eye development for his PhD. He then worked at Nature from 2002 to 2013, writing, editing and making films and podcasts.
Science on air and on the page.
BBC documentaries and Inside Science brought his work to a wider audience. He spent eight years hosting Inside Science and teamed up with Hannah Fry for The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry, answering listeners’ scientific questions. His 2016 book A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived used genetics to retell human history and became a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.
The questions he keeps asking.
Human ancestry and the misuse of genetics run through How to Argue with a Racist and Control. He also writes for younger readers: Where Are You Really From?, illustrated by Adam Ming, won the STEM category at The Week Junior Book Awards in 2024. His broadcasting includes Start the Week and The Human Subject, made with Julia Shaw.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2023Where Are You Really From?Author; illustrated by Adam Ming
- 2022Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of EugenicsAuthor
- 2020How to Argue with a RacistAuthor
- 2016A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever LivedAuthor
Radio
- 2024The Human SubjectCo-presenter with Julia Shaw
- 2022Bad Blood: The Story of EugenicsWriter and presenter
- 2013Inside SciencePresenter, beginning in 2013
Film
- 2024A Quiet Place: Day OneScientific adviser
- 2018AnnihilationScientific adviser
- 2015Ex MachinaScientific adviser
Awards
- Royal Society David Attenborough Award and Lecture2021 recipient, recognising his public engagement with science and challenges to racist pseudoscience.
- The Week Junior Book Awards: Children’s Book of the Year, STEM2024 winner for Where Are You Really From?
- National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived was a finalist.
Quotes
There was never a grand plan, and I am catholic in my interests.Adam Rutherford, In-Sight Publishing
In a January 2024 interview, he described how following genes led him from stalk-eyed flies to research on human eye development.
Trivia
- He told the New Statesman that his earliest memory was seeing Star Wars at the Ipswich Gaumont in 1979.
- His suggested second-round Mastermind specialist subject is Marvel Comics.
- The Book of Humans was released in the United States as Humanimal.
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