Lewis Ryan Dartnell (born 21 November 1980) is a British astrobiologist, presenter, and professor of science communication at the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Augu ...

. His works of popular science include '' The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch'' and ''Origins'', which looks at how geology has impacted human history.

Early life and education

Dartnell was born in the UK, but spent much of his childhood years abroad, as his father was posted overseas while working as an engineer for British Airways. He was educated at

Charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...

, in Surrey, and obtained a degree in biology from the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in

Astrobiology Astrobiology, and the related field of exobiology, is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary field that investi ...

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

. His thesis, ''Computer modeling and experimental work on the astrobiological implications of the Martian subsurface ionising radiation environment'', was subsequently reprinted under the title of ''Martian Death Rays''.

Career

Research

Dartnell was a

UK Space Agency The United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the United Kingdom's civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the British National Space Centr ...

research fellow 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_la ...

, where his research focused on the study of extremophile microbes and their signs of past or present life, including the use of Raman spectroscopy to detect micro-organisms even after they have been damaged by exposure to very high levels of radiation. He is currently a Professor of Science Communication at the

Writing

Dartnell has written science articles for popular magazines including ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a 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 organisation publish ...

'', and was runner up for The Daily Telegraph Science Writer's Award in 2004. He has written several books, including ''Life in the Universe'', an introductory book to the field of

astrobiology Astrobiology, and the related field of exobiology, is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary field that investi ...

, and '' The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch''. 2019 saw the publication of ''Origins'', which is an account of how the Earth has affected human evolution and civilizations. Dartnell also contributed an essay on extraterrestrial life edited by

Jim Al-Khalili Jameel Sadik "Jim" Al-Khalili ( ar, جميل صادق الخليلي; born 20 September 1962) is an Iraqi-British theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is professor of theoretical physics and chair in the public engagement in scien ...

Broadcasting

Dartnell has appeared in several science programmes for BBC radio and television, including guest appearances on ''The Sky at Night'' and ''StarGazing Live''. He also presented at TED in March 2015 during Session 10: Building from Scratch. Dartnell was interviewed by Mia Funk on The Creative Process Podcast in February, 2024 to discuss his new book ''Being'' ''Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History''. Dartnell and Funk discussed the impact of AI on society, how cognitive biases influence history, how he writes for different audiences, and his thoughts on the future of education.

Personal life

Dartnell lives in the Stoke Newington area of London.

Influence

Riichiro Inagaki, Tokyo-based author of the manga series ''

Dr. Stone ''Dr. Stone'' (stylized as ''Dr.STONE'') is a Japanese manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by the South Korean artist Boichi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from March 2017 to March 2022, with ...

'', references a japanese translation of Dartnell's book ''The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilisation in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm'' as a consulted work.Inagaki, Riichiro (2017) ''Dr Stone'', VIZ Media

References

External links

Personal website

The Knowledge (book)

Research Council UK Profile

University of Leicester profile

University of Westminster profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dartnell, Lewis 1980 births Academics of the University of Leicester Alumni of the University of Oxford Astrobiologists English biologists Living people People educated at Charterhouse School