Chris Smith, The Naked Scientist
Encyclopedia
Dr Chris Smith - "the Naked Scientist" - is a medical doctor and a clinical lecturer in virology at Cambridge University where he is a fellow of Queens' College
. He is also a science radio
broadcaster
and writer
, and presents the Naked Scientists
on the BBC, a programme which he founded in 2001.
In addition to the Naked Scientists, he appears each Monday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live
's Up All Night
programme, and live every Friday morning on Australia's Radio National Breakfast
, with an update of the week's science news. He is also a frequent contributor to Robyn Williams
' "The Science Show" on the same station, and also appears on Johannesburg-based South African station TalkRadio 702
for thirty minutes every Friday morning with a half hour science news round up and listener phone-in.
Smith also founded and presented the first 100 episodes of the Nature Podcast for the journal Nature. This show was the first example of an international science journal producing an audio programme to supplement its printed content. He has also contributed podcast content for the open access publishing group PLoS (Public Library of Science) and hosts the Royal Society of Chemistry's "Chemistry World" Podcast.
is now one of the world's most downloaded science podcast
s. Launched by Smith in 2005, it was also the first example of a BBC local and regional programme to be published as a podcast; within its first twelve months it received 2 million programme downloads.
In January 2010, Smith's The Naked Scientists
group announced on Twitter that, just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the project's launch, the number of downloaded programme episodes had hit 10 million internationally. More recently, in a presentation at the 2011 AAAS Meeting in Washington DC, Smith announced that, as of February 2011, over 17 million episodes of the Naked Scientists podcast have been downloaded globally.
. This was followed, in September 2008, by "Crisp Packet Fireworks", a collection of 50 science experiments to try at home using every-day ingredients found in the average kitchen. This title, which was co-authored with Naked Scientist colleague David Ansell and published by New Holland, was initially launched across in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. In January 2010 it was also published across South Africa by Struik and Random House under the title "Maverick Science", and launched in the US in April 2010 as "Spectacular Science".
In December 2008 Chris also published a sequel to "Naked Science", "The Return of the Naked Scientist", with Random House in Australia and New Zealand. He recently released a fourth book, Stripping Down Science, also with Random House Australia, in December 2010.
Prize for Science Communication, 2006, the JOSH Award 2007, the Society for General Microbiology
's Peter Wildy Prize 2008, the Royal Society
Kohn Award 2008, the Best Radio Show Award at the Population Institute's 29th Global Media Awards, 2008, the European Podcast Award for UK Non-Profit podcast, and the inaugural Royal College of Pathologists Furness Prize for Science Communication, 2010.
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
. He is also a science radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and presents the Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists is a one-hour audience-interactive science radio talk show broadcast live by the BBC in the East of England, nationally by BBC Radio 5 Live and internationally as a podcast. The programme was created and is edited by Cambridge University Pathology Department clinical lecturer...
on the BBC, a programme which he founded in 2001.
In addition to the Naked Scientists, he appears each Monday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's Up All Night
Up All Night (radio show)
Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night...
programme, and live every Friday morning on Australia's Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast is a national early morning news programme in Australia. The programme is broadcast live in the eastern states on the ABC Radio National network. It can also be listened to online...
, with an update of the week's science news. He is also a frequent contributor to Robyn Williams
Robyn Williams
Robyn Williams AM is a science journalist and broadcaster resident in Australia who has hosted the Science Show on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 1975, Ockham's Razor and In Conversation .-Background:Robyn Williams was born in Buckinghamshire, England, and educated in Vienna and...
' "The Science Show" on the same station, and also appears on Johannesburg-based South African station TalkRadio 702
Radio 702
Radio 702, currently known as Talk Radio 702, is a commercial FM radio station based in Johannesburg, South Africa, broadcasting on FM 92.7 and FM 106 to the greater Gauteng province. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Johannesburg's number one news and talk station,...
for thirty minutes every Friday morning with a half hour science news round up and listener phone-in.
Smith also founded and presented the first 100 episodes of the Nature Podcast for the journal Nature. This show was the first example of an international science journal producing an audio programme to supplement its printed content. He has also contributed podcast content for the open access publishing group PLoS (Public Library of Science) and hosts the Royal Society of Chemistry's "Chemistry World" Podcast.
Naked Scientists Podcast
The Naked ScientistsThe Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists is a one-hour audience-interactive science radio talk show broadcast live by the BBC in the East of England, nationally by BBC Radio 5 Live and internationally as a podcast. The programme was created and is edited by Cambridge University Pathology Department clinical lecturer...
is now one of the world's most downloaded science podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s. Launched by Smith in 2005, it was also the first example of a BBC local and regional programme to be published as a podcast; within its first twelve months it received 2 million programme downloads.
In January 2010, Smith's The Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists is a one-hour audience-interactive science radio talk show broadcast live by the BBC in the East of England, nationally by BBC Radio 5 Live and internationally as a podcast. The programme was created and is edited by Cambridge University Pathology Department clinical lecturer...
group announced on Twitter that, just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the project's launch, the number of downloaded programme episodes had hit 10 million internationally. More recently, in a presentation at the 2011 AAAS Meeting in Washington DC, Smith announced that, as of February 2011, over 17 million episodes of the Naked Scientists podcast have been downloaded globally.
Books
In September 2006 Chris Smith published Naked Science, his first book, which is an anthology of science stories based on the material presented on The Naked ScientistsThe Naked Scientists
The Naked Scientists is a one-hour audience-interactive science radio talk show broadcast live by the BBC in the East of England, nationally by BBC Radio 5 Live and internationally as a podcast. The programme was created and is edited by Cambridge University Pathology Department clinical lecturer...
. This was followed, in September 2008, by "Crisp Packet Fireworks", a collection of 50 science experiments to try at home using every-day ingredients found in the average kitchen. This title, which was co-authored with Naked Scientist colleague David Ansell and published by New Holland, was initially launched across in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. In January 2010 it was also published across South Africa by Struik and Random House under the title "Maverick Science", and launched in the US in April 2010 as "Spectacular Science".
In December 2008 Chris also published a sequel to "Naked Science", "The Return of the Naked Scientist", with Random House in Australia and New Zealand. He recently released a fourth book, Stripping Down Science, also with Random House Australia, in December 2010.
Awards
His work on the Naked Scientists also won Chris the Biosciences FederationBiosciences Federation
-Function:The Federation aimed to unite the bioscience community over issues of common interest that related to both research and teaching. These organisations are a key component of the UK's knowledge economy. It also aimed to influence the formulation of UK policy relating to biosciences, and to...
Prize for Science Communication, 2006, the JOSH Award 2007, the Society for General Microbiology
Society for General Microbiology
The Society for General Microbiology is a learned society based in the United Kingdom but with members in more than 60 countries. With approximately 5000 members, it is the largest microbiological society in Europe...
's Peter Wildy Prize 2008, the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
Kohn Award 2008, the Best Radio Show Award at the Population Institute's 29th Global Media Awards, 2008, the European Podcast Award for UK Non-Profit podcast, and the inaugural Royal College of Pathologists Furness Prize for Science Communication, 2010.