Brian J. Ford
HonFLS HonFRMS (born 1939 in
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south-eastern edge of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 national route, southwest of Swindon, southeast of Bristol, northeast of Bath and southwest of ...
, Wiltshire) is an independent research biologist, author, and lecturer, who publishes on scientific issues for the general public. He has also been a television personality for more than 40 years. Ford is an international authority on the microscope.
[ ] Throughout his career, Ford has been associated with many academic bodies. He was elected a Fellow of Cardiff University in 1986, was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Leicester,
and has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Microscopical Society
and of the Linnean Society of London.
In America, he was awarded the inaugural Köhler Medal
and was recently recipient of the Ernst Abbe medal awarded by the New York Microscopical Society.
In 2004 he was awarded a personal fellowship from NESTA,
the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. During those three years he delivered 150 lectures in scores of countries, meeting 10,000 people in over 350 universities around the world.
Education
Ford attended the
King's School,
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...
, and then
Cardiff University
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
to study
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...
between 1959 and 1961, leaving before graduating to set up his own multi-disciplinary laboratory.
Career and positions
Universities
*Fellow of
Cardiff University
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
- past President of the Association of Past Students and Member of the university court
*Former dining member of
Gonville and Caius College
Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of th ...
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
*Honorary member of Keynes College,
University of Kent
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...
*President Emeritus of Cambridge Society for the Application of Research
*Former Fellow at the
Open University
The Open University (OU) is a British Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's underg ...
*Formerly Visiting Professor at the
University of Leicester
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_lab ...
*President (and now President Emeritus) of University of Cambridge Society for the Application of Research
Learned Societies
*Fellow of the
Linnean Society
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
- serving as a member of their council as their Zoological Secretary and is their honorary surveyor of scientific instruments
*Fellow of the
Institute of Biology The Institute of Biology (IoB) was a professional body for biologists, primarily those working in the United Kingdom. The Institute was founded in 1950 by the Biological Council: the then umbrella body for Britain's many learned biological societie ...
- a former member of their council and chairman of their history network
(He also edited: ''Institute of Biology: The First Fifty Years'' which is devoted to the history of this Institute.)
*Life fellow of
Cambridge Philosophical Society
The Cambridge Philosophical Society (CPS) is a scientific society at the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1819. The name derives from the medieval use of the word philosophy to denote any research undertaken outside the fields of l ...
*Fellowship by the
National Endowment for Science, Technology and Art in 2004
*
Honorary Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
The Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) is a learned society for the promotion of microscopy. It was founded in 1839 as the Microscopical Society of London making it the oldest organisation of its kind in the world. In 1866, the society gained its ...
- appointed in February 2017, having been elected as an ordinary fellow in 1962
Other positions
He was the first British President of the European Union of Science Journalists' Associations, founding Chairman of the Science and Technology Authors Committee at the
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. , it represents over 12,000 members and ass ...
, and the president of the Cambridge Society for the Application of Research (CSAR) of Cambridge University. Ford has been a member of
Mensa and was a director of British Mensa from 1993–1997, resigning a few months after being elected for a second term. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society in 1962.
2012 aquatic dinosaur hypothesis
In the April 2012 issue of ''
Laboratory News
''Laboratory News'' is a monthly science magazine aimed at scientists with a focus on laboratory equipment. Founded in 1971, the magazine covers all aspects of scientific discovery and advances in the laboratory sector. Laboratory News has two webs ...
'', Ford put forward the idea that all large dinosaurs were aquatic, arguing that they were too large and heavy to be land animals.
Recent oxygen
isotope analysis
Isotope analysis is the identification of isotopic signature, abundance of certain stable isotopes of chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds. Isotopic analysis can be used to understand the flow of energy through a food w ...
and taphonomic changes show clear evidence for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, however only for the
Spinosaurus
''Spinosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian to upper Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous period, about 99 to 93.5 million years ago. The genus was known first f ...
, so far no
sauropod
Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', ' lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their ...
or
ornithischian
Ornithischia () is an extinct order of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek st ...
has been shown to be semi-aquatic.
[ Amiot, R., Buffetaut, E., Lécuyer, C., Wang, X., Boudad, L., Ding, Z., ... & Zhou, Z. (2010). Oxygen isotope evidence for semi-aquatic habits among spinosaurid theropods. Geology, 38(2), 139-142.][ Ibrahim, N., Maganuco, S., Dal Sasso, C., Fabbri, M., Auditore, M., Bindellini, G., ... & Pierce, S. E. (2020). Tail-propelled aquatic locomotion in a theropod dinosaur. Nature, 581(7806), 67-70. ][ Beevor, T., Quigley, A., Smith, R. E., Smyth, R. S., Ibrahim, N., Zouhri, S., & Martill, D. M. (2021). Taphonomic evidence supports an aquatic lifestyle for Spinosaurus Cretaceous Research, 117, 104627.
.]
Bibliography
Books
* ''Allied Secret Weapons: the War of Science; Weapons Book #19'', . USA
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains p ...
, 1970. , UK, Macdonald, 1970.
*''Microbiology and food'', (hardback), UK, Catering Times, 1971. (paperback). UK, Northwood, 1970.
*''German secret weapons, blueprint for Mars'', . Australia, South Africa, & New Zealand, Macdonald.
* ''Nonscience . . . or how to rule the world'', . UK, Wolfe, 1971.
* ''The optical microscope manual, past and present uses and techniques'', . UK,
David & Charles
David & Charles Ltd is an English publishing company. It is the owner of the David & Charles imprint, which specialises in craft and lifestyle publishing.
David and Charles Ltd acts as distributor for all David and Charles Ltd books and cont ...
, 1973. . USA, Crane Russak, 1973.
* ''The revealing lens, mankind and the microscope'', . UK, George Harrap, 1973.
* ''Microbe power, tomorrow's revolution'', . UK, Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. . USA, Stein and Day, 1976.
* ''Patterns of sex, the mating urge and our sexual future'', . UK, Macdonald and Janes, 1979. . USA, St Martin's Press, 1980.
* ''The Cult of the expert (hardback)'' , (paperback) 0552122491. UK,
Transworld, 1982.
* ''101 questions about science'', . UK,
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half- Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which w ...
, 1983.
* ''101 more questions about science'', . UK,
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half- Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which w ...
, 1984.
* ''Single lens, the story of the simple microscope'', . UK,
William Heinemann
William Henry Heinemann (18 May 1863 – 5 October 1920) was an English publisher of Jewish descent and the founder of the Heinemann publishing house in London.
Early life
On 18 May 1863, Heinemann was born in Surbiton, Surrey, England. Heine ...
, 1985. . USA,
Harper & Row
Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City.
History
J. & J. Harper (1817–1833)
James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...
, 1985.
* ''Compute, how, where, why ... do you really need to?'' . UK,
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half- Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which w ...
, 1985.
*''The food book'', . UK,
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half- Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which w ...
, 1986.
*''The human body'', . UK, Belitha Books, . USA, Belitha, 1990.
*''The Leeuwenhoek legacy'', . UK, Biopress, . UK, Farrand Press, 1991.
*''Images of science, a history of scientific illustration'', . UK,
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...
, 1992. . USA,
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
, 1993.
*''My first encyclopaedia of science'', . UK, Kingfisher Books, 1993.
*''The new Guinness book of records quiz book'', . UK, Guinness Publishing, 1994.
*''BSE the facts'', . UK,
Transworld, 1996.
*''Genes, the fight for life'', . UK, Cassells, 1999. . USA, Sterling Publications, 1999.
*''Sensitive souls, senses and communication in plants, animals and microbes'', . UK,
Little, Brown
Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown (publisher), James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Ear ...
, 1999.
*''The Future of food'', . UK,
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
, 2000. . USA and Canada,
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
, 2000.
*''Secret language of life, how animals and plants feel and communicate'', . USA, Fromm International, 2000.
*''Using the digital microscope'', . UK, Rothay House, 2002.
*''Secret Weapons: Technology, Science and the Race to Win World War II'', . UK, Osprey Publishing, 2011.
*''Too Big To Walk: The New Science of Dinosaurs'', . UK, William Collins, 2019.
*''Nonscience Returns'', ., UK, Curtis Press,2020.
Audio Book
*''Understanding Viruses, 30 Questions, 25 Geniuses, 100 Amazing Insights'', . USA, Finding Genius Foundation, 2021.
Book chapters
*"The recovery, removal, and reconstruction of human skeletal remains, some new techniques", chapter in ''Field manual for museums''. Paris,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, 1970.
*"Récuperation, enlèvement et reconstitution des ossements", chapter in ''Musées et recherches sur le terrain''. Paris,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, 1970.
*Brian J Ford explains why he considers Cardiff the most unappreciated city in the world, chapter in ''The Cardiff book'', . Barry: Stewart Williams Publishers, 1973.
*"Discharge to the environment of viruses in wastewater, sludges and aerosols", chapter with JS Slade in ''Viral pollution of the environment'', ed: G Berg, . Boca Raton,
CRC Press
The CRC Press, LLC is an American publishing group that specializes in producing technical books. Many of their books relate to engineering, science and mathematics. Their scope also includes books on business, forensics and information techn ...
, 1983.
*"Sexually transmitted diseases", chapter in ''Sex and Your Health'' ed J Bevan, . London, Mitchell Beazley, 1985.
*"Las Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual y Otras que las Imitan", chapter in ''El Sexo y la Salud'' ed J Bevan, . Barcelona, Editorial Planeta, 1985.
*"Exploring South Wales", chapter in ''Walking in Britain'', ed J. Hillaby, . London:
William Collins, 1988.
*''
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath active as a scientist, natural philosopher and architect, who is credited to be one of two scientists to discover microorganisms in 1665 using a compound microscope that ...
, an introduction to Hooke's
Micrographia
''Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses. With Observations and Inquiries Thereupon.'' is a historically significant book by Robert Hooke about his observations through various lenses. It ...
'', commentary on CD-ROM edition of ''
Micrographia
''Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses. With Observations and Inquiries Thereupon.'' is a historically significant book by Robert Hooke about his observations through various lenses. It ...
'', 1665 . Palo Alto, Octavo, 1998.
*"Witnessing the birth of the microscope", photoessay in ''Millennium yearbook of science and the future'', . Chicago,
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
, 2000.
*"Eighteenth-century scientific publishing", chapter in ''Scientific books, libraries and collectors'', . London, Thornton & Tully, 2000.
*"Scientific Illustration", chapter in vol 4 of ''The Cambridge history of science'', ed R Porter . Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer.
Cambridge University Pr ...
, 2001.
*"Hidden secrets in the Royal Society archive", chapter 3 in ''Biological collections and biodiversity'', eds BS Rushton, P Hackney and CR Tyrie, . Otley, Westbury Academic and Scientific Publishing, 2001.
*"Trouble on the hoof, disease outbreaks in Europe," chapter in ''2002 book of the year'', . Chicago,
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
, 2002.
*"Human behaviour and the changing pattern of disease", chapter in ''The changing face of disease, implications for society'', . London and Boca Raton,
CRC Press
The CRC Press, LLC is an American publishing group that specializes in producing technical books. Many of their books relate to engineering, science and mathematics. Their scope also includes books on business, forensics and information techn ...
, 2004.
*"What Next After SARS?" (
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sev ...
), chapter in ''2004 book of the year'', . Chicago, ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
'', 2004.
*"
Bird flu, the next pandemic?", chapter in ''2006 book of the year'', . Chicago, ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
'', 2006.
*"
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath active as a scientist, natural philosopher and architect, who is credited to be one of two scientists to discover microorganisms in 1665 using a compound microscope that ...
",
n''The Great Naturalists'', , editor Rob Huxley, Natural History Museum, UK:
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
, 2007.
*"
Antony van Leeuwenhoek
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek ( ; ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch science and technology. A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as " the ...
"
n''The Great Naturalists'', , editor Rob Huxley, Natural History Museum, UK:
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
, 2007.
*"Cork and blood smear with Leeuwenhoek microscope"
n''Introduction to Microbiology'', , US: Sudbury MA:
Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc., 2007.
*"Microscopy in early neurology"
nWhitaker, Harry; Smith, C. U. M. & Finger, Stan, (editors) ''Brain, Mind and Medicine: essays in 18th century neuroscience'', .
Springer
Springer or springers may refer to:
Publishers
* Springer Science+Business Media, aka Springer International Publishing, a worldwide publishing group founded in 1842 in Germany formerly known as Springer-Verlag.
** Springer Nature, a multinationa ...
, 2007.
*"Did Physics matter to the Pioneers of Microscopy?"
nAdvances in Imaging and Electron Physics 158: 27-87, Editor Professor Peter W Hawkes, . New York:
Academic Press
Academic Press (AP) is an academic book publisher founded in 1941. It was acquired by Harcourt, Brace & World in 1969. Reed Elsevier bought Harcourt in 2000, and Academic Press is now an imprint of Elsevier.
Academic Press publishes refer ...
, 2009.
*"Culturing Meat for the Future: Anti-death versus anti-life",
nTandy, Charles (editor) Death And Anti-Death, Volume 7, . Palo Alto:
Ria University Press, 2010.
*"The Future of Food"
nFaculty of Medicine Study manual, (two volumes). Japan:
Z-kai Inc., Shizuoka, 2019.
*"Robert Brown's Microscope, 1827-1833",
n50 Objects, Stories and Discoveries, . London:
Linnean Society
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
, 2020.
References
External links
Profile by University of LeicesterProfile from 'The World is Open'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Brian J.
1939 births
Academics of the Open University
Academics of the University of Leicester
Academics of Cardiff University
Academics of the University of Cambridge
Alumni of Cardiff University
British science writers
English biologists
English male journalists
English television presenters
English radio presenters
Living people
Fellows of the Linnean Society of London
Honorary fellows of the Royal Microscopical Society
People from Corsham
People educated at The King's School, Peterborough
Mensans
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
People associated with The Institute for Cultural Research