Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British popular science author whose works
largely contain a strong mathematical element. His written works include
Fermat's Last Theorem, The Code Book, Big Bang, Trick or Treatment?
Alternative Medicine on Trial and The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.
In 2012 Singh founded the Good Thinking Society.
Singh has also produced documentaries and works for television to accompany
his books, is a trustee of NESTA, the National Museum of Science and Industry
and co-founded the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme.
Education Singh's parents emigrated from Punjab,
India to Britain in 1950. He is the youngest of three brothers, his eldest
brother being Tom Singh, the founder of the UK New Look chain of stores. Singh
grew up in Wellington, Somerset, attending Wellington School, and went on
to Imperial College London, where he studied physics. He was active in the
student union, becoming President of the Royal College of Science Union. Later he
completed a PhD degree in particle physics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
and at CERN, Geneva. Career
In 1983, he was part of the UA2 experiment in CERN. In 1987, Singh
taught science at The Doon School, the independent all-boys' boarding school in
India. In 1990 Singh returned to England and joined the BBC's Science and
Features Department, where he was a producer and director working on
programmes such as Tomorrow's World and Horizon. Singh was introduced to Richard
Wiseman through their collaboration onTomorrow's World. At Wiseman's
suggestion, Singh directed a segment about politicians lying in different
mediums, and getting the public's opinion on if the person was lying or
not. After attending some of Wiseman's
lectures, Singh came up with the idea to create a show together, and Theatre of
Science was born. It was a way to deliver science to normal people in an
entertaining manner. Richard Wiseman has influenced Singh in such a way that
Singh states: Singh directed his BAFTA award-winning
documentary about the world's most notorious mathematical problem entitled
"Fermat's Last Theorem" in 1996. The film was memorable for its opening shot
of a middle-aged mathematician, Andrew Wiles, holding back tears as he recalled
the moment when he finally realised how to resolve the fundamental error in his
proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. The documentary was originally transmitted
in October 1997 as an edition of the BBC Horizon series. It was also aired in
America as part of the NOVA series. The Proof, as it was re-titled, was
nominated for an Emmy Award. The story of this celebrated
mathematical problem was also the subject of Singh's first book, Fermat's
last theorem. In 1997, he began working on his second book, The Code Book, a
history of codes and codebreaking. As well as explaining the science of codes
and describing the impact of cryptography on history, the book also
contends that cryptography is more important today than ever before. The
Code Book has resulted in a return to television for him. He presented The
Science of Secrecy, a five-part series for Channel 4. The stories in the series
range from the cipher that sealed the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots, to the
coded Zimmermann Telegram that changed the course of the First World War. Other
programmes discuss how two great 19th century geniuses raced to decipher
Egyptian hieroglyphs and how modern encryption can guarantee privacy on the
Internet. On his activities as author he said in
an interview to Imperial College London: In October 2004, Singh published a book
entitled Big Bang, which tells the history of the universe. It is told in
his trademark style, by following the remarkable stories of the people who put
the pieces together. In 2003, Singh was made a Member of the
Order of the British Empire for services to science, technology and engineering
in education and science communication. In the same year he was made Doctor of
Letters by Loughborough University, and in 2005 was given an honorary degree in
Mathematics by the University of Southampton.He continues to be involved
in television and radio programmes, including A Further Five Numbers.
He made headlines in 2005 when he criticised the Katie Melua song "Nine
Million Bicycles" for inaccurate lyrics referring to the size of the observable
universe. Singh proposed corrected lyrics, though he used the value of 13.7
billion light years; accounting for expansion of the universe, the comoving
distance to the edge of the observable universe is 46.5 billion light years.
BBC Radio 4's Today programme brought Melua and Singh together in a radio
studio where Melua recorded a tongue-in-cheek version of the song that
had been written by Singh. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Design
degree by the University of the West of England "in recognition of Simon Singh's
outstanding contribution to the public understanding of science, in particular
in the promotion of science, engineering and mathematics in schools and in the
building of links between universities and schools". This was followed up by
his receipt of the Kelvin Medal from the Institute of Physics in 2008, for his
achievements in promoting Physics to the general public. In July 2008, he was
also awarded a degree of Doctor of Science by Royal Holloway, University of
London. In July 2011, he was awarded another degree of Doctor of Science by
the University of Kent for services to Science. In June 2012, Singh was awarded
the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science for his contribution to science
communication, education and academic freedom by The University of St Andrews.
Singh was part of an investigation about Homeopathy in 2006. This investigation
was made by the organization Sense About Science. In the investigation, a student
asked ten homeopaths for an alternative to her preventative malaria medication.
All ten homeopaths recommended homeopathy as a substitute. This
investigation was reported by the BBC. Simon is a member of the Advisory
Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering. He is the inaugural
recipient of the Lilavati Award. In February 2011 he was elected as a Fellow
of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Chiropractic lawsuit
In 19 April 2008, The Guardian published Singh's column "Beware the Spinal Trap",
an article that was critical of the practice of chiropractic and which
resulted in Singh being sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association.
The article developed the theme of the book that Singh and Edzard Ernst had
published, Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial, and made
various statements about the lack of usefulness of chiropractic "for such
problems as ear infections and infant colic":
When the case was first brought against him, The Guardian supported him and
funded his legal advice, as well as offering to pay the BCA's legal costs in
an out-of-court settlement if Singh chose to settle. A "furious backlash" to
the lawsuit resulted in the filing of formal complaints of false advertising
against more than 500 individual chiropractors within one 24-hour period,
with one national chiropractic organisation ordering its members to
take down their websites, and Nature Medicine noting that the case had
gathered wide support for Singh, as well as prompting calls for the reform of
English libel laws. On 1 April 2010, Simon Singh won his court appeal for the
right to rely on the defence of fair comment. On 15 April 2010, the BCA
officially withdrew its lawsuit, ending the case. To defend himself for the
libel suit, Singh's out-of-pocket legal costs were tens of thousands of pounds,
but the trial has acted as a catalyst and focus for libel reform campaigners
resulting in all major parties in the 2010 UK general election making
manifesto commitments to libel reform. On 25 April 2013 the Defamation Act 2013
received Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Assent and became law. The purpose of
the reformed law of defamation is to 'ensure that a fair balance is struck
between the right to freedom of expression and the protection of
reputation'. Under the new law, plaintiffs must show that they suffer
serious harm before the court will accept the case. Additional protection
for website operators, defence of 'responsible publication on matters of
public interest' and new statutory defences of truth and honest opinion are
also part of the key areas of the new law.
Bibliography Fermat's Last Theorem – the theorem's
initial conjecture and eventual proof The Code Book – a history of
cryptography – ISBN 978-1-85702-879-9 Big Bang – discusses models for the
origin of the universe – ISBN 0-00-719382-3
Trick or Treatment?: Alternative Medicine on Trial – examines various
types of alternative medicine, finds lack of evidence – ISBN 0-593-06129-2
The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets – highlights mathematical
references in The Simpsons – ISBN 1-620-40277-7
References External links
Simon Singh's official website Simon Singh's page, Conville and Walsh
Radio shows Simon Singh: The five most important
numbers in mathematics Simon Singh: Another five numbers
Simon Singh: A further five numbers Other
Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme, co-founded by Simon Singh
Simon Singh: No miracle cure for junk science
Archive of Happy Families, a British Chiropractic Association brochure that
claimed "chiropractic care ... helped children" with asthma, bedwetting and
baby colic, claims Dr. Singh took issue with, all ending in a lawsuit.
Transcript of Court of Appeal judgment on leave to appeal, 14 October 2009.
Ten Questions that BCA Members Should Now Be Asking, an analysis of the legal
and practical position that BCA members are in as a result of the lawsuit, by
Jack of Kent. Chiropractors Try to Silence Simon Singh
Simon Singh. "Pi in the Simpsons". Numberphile. Brady Haran.