Marek Kohn is an English science writer on

evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

, biology and society.

Early life and education

Kohn was born to a Polish father and a British mother. Kohn holds an undergraduate degree in

neurobiology Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, ...

from the

University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...

, a PhD from the University of Brighton and has held fellowships at both schools. He is currently an honorary research fellow with the latter. His articles have appeared in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...

'', '' Prospect'', ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', and he writes frequently for the ''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

''.

Career

His first two books were on drugs, their cultural history, and their politics. He is the author of seven books and hundreds of articles. Kohn's book, ''A Reason for Everything'' (2004), has received widespread praise, including Steve Jones' stating in his ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'' review that "every evolutionist should read it," and Andrew Brown, author of ''the Darwin Wars'', writing in his ''Guardian'' review, "one of the best science writers we have." In 1999, Kohn had proposed, together with the

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Steven Mithen, the "sexy hand-axe hypothesis." This hypothesis proposes that pressures related to

sexual selection Sexual selection is a mechanism of evolution in which members of one sex mate choice, choose mates of the other sex to mating, mate with (intersexual selection), and compete with members of the same sex for access to members of the opposite sex ...

could result in men making symmetric hand axes to demonstrate their cognitive and physiological fitness. Following the publication of his name in a list of persons invited to participate in Steve Sailer's Human Biodiversity Institute discussion pages, Kohn wrote to Lynn Conway to dissociate himself from many of the participants' scientific and political views. Kohn has also written about the possible future

effects of climate change Effects of climate change are well documented and growing for Earth's natural environment and human societies. Changes to the climate system include an Instrumental temperature record, overall warming trend, Effects of climate change on the ...

on Britain's landscape and society; health inequalities; the evolutionary psychology of trust; and Poles in British society. Kohn is also the author of a guide to the Wellcome Collection. In December 2014, Kohn also contributed to the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

''Live Documentary: Palace of Great War Varieties'' presented by Matthew Sweet.

Personal life

Kohn resides in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

with his wife, Sue Matthias Kohn; the couple have a son.

Books

*''Narcomania: On Heroin'' (1987) *''Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground'' (1992; re-released 2003) *''The Race Gallery: The Return of Racial Science'' (1995; re-released 1996) *''As We Know It: Coming to Terms with an Evolved Mind'' (1999) *''A Reason For Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination'' (2004) *''Trust: Self-Interest and the Common Good'' (2008) *''Turned Out Nice: How the British Isles will Change as the World Heats Up'' (2010) * ''A Guide for the Incurably Curious'' (2012) * ''Four Words for Friend: Why Using More Than One Language Matters Now More Than Ever'' (2019) * ''The Stories Old Towns Tell: A Journey Through Cities at the Heart of Europe'' (2023)

References

External links

Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kohn, Marek British science journalists British science writers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of Sussex Alumni of the University of Brighton English people of Polish descent 20th-century births