Adam Rutherford

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title: "Adam Rutherford" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["british-atheists", "british-humanists", "british-geneticists", "british-television-presenters", "british-people-of-guyanese-descent", "british-people-of-indian-descent", "critics-of-creationism", "living-people", "people-educated-at-ipswich-school", "presidents-of-humanists-uk", "scientists-from-ipswich", "synthetic-biologists", "british-science-journalists", "bbc-radio-4-presenters", "1975-births"] description: "British geneticist, author, and broadcaster" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rutherford" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British geneticist, author, and broadcaster ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox scientist"]

Field	Value
name	Adam Rutherford
birth_name	Adam David Rutherford
image	File:Adam_Rutherford_QED_02.jpg
caption	Rutherford at QED, 2013
birth_date
birth_place	Ipswich, Suffolk, England
death_date
citizenship	British, New Zealand
education	Ipswich School
alma_mater	University College London (BSc, PhD)
field
thesis_title	The role of CHX10 in the development of the mammalian retina
thesis_year	2002
thesis_url	https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.252265
doctoral_advisor	Jane Sowden
known_for	Inside Science
awards	David Attenborough Award and Lecture, 2021
website
::

| name = Adam Rutherford | birth_name = Adam David Rutherford | image = File:Adam_Rutherford_QED_02.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Rutherford at QED, 2013 | birth_date = | birth_place = Ipswich, Suffolk, England | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | language = | citizenship = British, New Zealand | education = Ipswich School | alma_mater = University College London (BSc, PhD) | field = | thesis_title = The role of CHX10 in the development of the mammalian retina | thesis_year = 2002 | thesis_url = https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.252265 | doctoral_advisor = Jane Sowden | known_for = Inside Science | children = | relatives = | awards = David Attenborough Award and Lecture, 2021 | signature = | signature_alt = | website =

Adam David Rutherford (born January 1975) is a British geneticist and science communicatior. He was an audio-visual content editor for the journal Nature for a decade, and is a frequent contributor to the newspaper The Guardian. He formerly hosted the BBC Radio 4 programmes Inside Science and (with Hannah Fry) The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry; has produced several science documentaries; and has published books related to genetics and the origin of life.

He is an honorary senior research associate in the division of biosciences at University College London.

Rutherford became President of Humanists UK in June 2022, succeeding Alice Roberts.

Early life and education

Rutherford, who is half-Guyanese Indian, was born in Ipswich in the East of England and was privately educated at Ipswich School.

He was admitted to the medical school at University College London, but transferred to a degree in evolutionary genetics, including a project under Steve Jones studying stalk-eyed flies.{{citation |author1=David, Patrice |author2=Hingle, Andrew |author3=Greig, Duncan |author4=Rutherford, Adam |author5=Pomiankowski, Andrew |author6=Fowler, Kevin |title=Male sexual ornament size but not asymmetry reflects condition in stalk–eyed flies |year=1998 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=265 |issue=1411 |issn=0962-8452 |pages=2211–2216 |doi=10.1098/rspb.1998.0561 |pmc=1689512

Rutherford's other academic research was also on genetic causes of eye disorders, including the relation of retinoschisin to retinoschisis,{{citation |author1=Grayson, Celene |author2=Reid, Silvia NM |author3=Ellis, Juliet A |author4=Rutherford, Adam |author5=Sowden, Jane C |author6=Yates, John RW |author7=Farber, Debora B |author8=Trump, Dorothy |title=Retinoschisin, the X-linked retinoschisis protein, is a secreted photoreceptor protein, and is expressed and released by Weri–Rb1 cells |year=2000 |journal=Human Molecular Genetics |volume=9 |issue=12 |issn=0964-6906 |url=http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/9/12/1873.full |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140301141231/http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/9/12/1873.full |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-03-01 |pages=1873–1879 |pmid=10915776 |doi=10.1093/hmg/9.12.1873 |doi-access=free |author1=Bibb, Lindsay C |author2=Holt, James KL |author3=Tarttelin, Emma E |author4=Hodges, Matthew D |author5=Gregory-Evans, Kevin |author6=Rutherford, Adam |author7=Lucas, Robert J |author8=Sowden, Jane C |author9=Gregory-Evans, Cheryl Y |journal=Human Molecular Genetics |title=Temporal and spatial expression patterns of the CRX transcription factor and its downstream targets. Critical differences during human and mouse eye development |year=2001 |volume=10 |issue=15 |issn=0964-6906 |url=https://academic.oup.com/hmg/article/10/15/1571/587691 |pages=1571–1579 |pmid=11468275 |doi=10.1093/hmg/10.15.1571 |doi-access=free |author1=Percin, E Ferda |author2=Ploder, Lynda A |author3=Jessica, J Yu |author4=Arici, Kemal |author5=Horsford, D Jonathan |author6=Rutherford, Adam |author7=Bapat, Bharati |author8=Cox, Diane W |author9=Duncan, Alessandra MV |author10=Kalnins, Vitauts I|journal=Nature Genetics |title=Human microphthalmia associated with mutations in the retinal homeobox gene CHX10 |year=2000 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=397–401 |pmid=10932181 |doi=10.1038/78071 |s2cid=9508022 |author1=Rutherford, Adam D |author2=Dhomen, Nathalie |author3=Smith, Hazel K |author4=Sowden, Jane C |title=Delayed expression of the Crx gene and photoreceptor development in the Chx10-deficient retina |year=2004|journal=Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science |volume=45 |issue=2 |issn=1552-5783 |pages=375–384 |doi=10.1167/iovs.03-0332 |pmid=14744875 |doi-access=free

Career

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/London_Thinks-_A_Scientist,_an_Atheist_Biblical_Scholar_and_a_Vicar_Walk_into_an_Ethical_Society.webm" caption="Rutherford talks with [[Francesca Stavrakopoulou]], [[Samira Ahmed]] and [[Giles Fraser]] at [[Conway Hall]] in London in 2015."] ::

Rutherford published a book on the topic of the creation of life. The United Kingdom printing has been called "two books in one",{{citation |author=Lane, Nick|work=The Observer |title=Creation: The Origin of Life; The Future of Life, by Adam Rutherford – review |date=6 April 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/apr/06/creation-origin-life-rutherford-review |author=Forbes, Peter|work=The Guardian |title=Creation: The Origin of Life/The Future of Life by Adam Rutherford – review |date=27 March 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/mar/27/creation-origin-life-rutherford-review |author=Long, Karen|work=Los Angeles Times |title='Creation' explains how science reinvents life |date=21 June 2013 |url=https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2013-jun-21-la-ca-jc-adam-rutherford-20130623-story.html |author=Rutherford, Adam |title=Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself |date=27 May 2014 |publisher=Current |isbn=978-1617230110 |page=288 |title=The Atheist's Guide to Christmas |date=2 November 2010 |publisher=Harper-Collins |isbn=9780061997976 |page=307 |author=Holland, Jessica |title=The Atheist's Guide to Christmas by various authors – review |date=24 October 2010 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/24/atheists-guide-to-christmas-review

Rutherford was the Podcast Editor{{citation |title=Archive by author: Adam Rutherford |url=http://blogs.nature.com/nascent/author/Adam-Rutherford |author=Rutherford, Adam|journal=Nature |title=Q&A: Getting under Darwin's skin |year=2009 |volume=457 |issue=7233 |issn=0028-0836 |doi=10.1038/4571087b |pages=1087 |bibcode=2009Natur.457.1087R |pmid=19242459 |doi-access=free |author=Rutherford, Adam |title=Q&A: Building on paradise |year=2009|journal=Nature |volume=457 |issue=7232 |issn=0028-0836 |doi=10.1038/457967a |pages=967 |bibcode=2009Natur.457..967R |pmid=19225509 |doi-access=free |author1=Abbott, Alison |author2=Rutherford, Adam |title=Editorial: Artists on science: scientists on art |year=2005|journal=Nature |volume=434 |issue=7031 |issn=0028-0836 |doi=10.1038/434293a |pages=293 |bibcode=2005Natur.434..293A |doi-access=free |author=Rutherford, Adam |title=Cinema: Return of the mutants |year=2003|journal=Nature |volume=423 |issue=6936 |issn=0028-0836 |doi=10.1038/423119b |pages=119 |bibcode=2003Natur.423..119R |doi-access=free

Rutherford is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, writing primarily on science topics.{{citation |author=Guardian, The |title=Adam Rutherford |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/adamrutherford |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Blogging Darwin|work=The Guardian |date=9 February 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/feb/09/bloggingdarwin |author=Rutherford, AD |title=The evolution of science teaching |date=7 November 2008 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/nov/07/education-evolution |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Evolution: the rules of engagement |date=5 January 2009 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/jan/05/evolution |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Fools rush in |date=2 February 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/feb/02/evolution-creationism-darwin-theos |newspaper=The Guardian

He also writes on religion, notably a 10-part series on his experience participating in the Alpha course,{{citation |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Alpha Male |year=2009 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/series/alpha-male |author=Rutherford, AD |title=A book for ignoring |work=The Guardian |date=6 February 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/feb/05/evolution |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Who's afraid of a homeopath's woo? |date=23 October 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/oct/23/religion-medical-research |newspaper=The Guardian

As a guest writer, he published an article in Wired on the possibility of using DNA for information storage.{{citation |author=Rutherford, AD|magazine=Wired |title=What better way to store data than zipped in DNA files |date=11 July 2013 |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2013/07/ideas-bank/finally-a-future-proof-file-back-up-format

Rutherford has returned to University College London, where he is an honorary senior research associate in the division of biosciences and teaches courses on genetics and communications.

Broadcasting

Rutherford frequently appears on BBC science programmes, on both radio and television.{{citation |title=Dr Adam Rutherford presents Radio 4's Inside Science |publisher=BBC Radio 4 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b036f7w2/profiles/adam-rutherford |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211195009/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b036f7w2/profiles/adam-rutherford |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 December 2013 |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Radio 4 launches new weekly science show, Inside Science |date=4 July 2013 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2013/jul/04/radio-4-launches-inside-science |author=Rutherford, A |title=BBC 4 "Inside Science" Series |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b036f7w2 |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Synthetic biology and the rise of the 'spider-goats' |date=14 January 2012 |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jan/14/synthetic-biology-spider-goat-genetics |author=Marszal, Andrew |title=Horizon: Playing God, BBC Two, review |date=17 January 2012 |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9020873/Horizon-Playing-God-BBC-Two-review.html

In 2011 he presented, on BBC Four, The Gene Code,{{citation |author=4, BBC Radio |title=The Gene Code |publisher=BBC Radio 4 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010nn6y |author=Raeburn, Sandy |title=TV Review: The Gene Code – The Book of Life / Unlocking the Code |date=9 May 2011 |website=Bionews.org |url=http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_94301.asp |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Science Betrayed |date=17 March 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00znb98 |title=Science Betrayed: Reflections on research misconduct |date=4 April 2011 |journal=BioethicsBytes |url=http://bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/science-betrayed-reflections-on-research-misconduct/ |author=Rutherford, A |title=BBC Four: The Cell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m5w92 |author=Wilson, B |title=The Cell (BBC Four): TV review |date=12 August 2009 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6017380/The-Cell-BBC-Four-TV-review.html |title=Ten classic science programmes |date=14 December 2010 |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8201876/Ten-classic-science-programmes.html

He also appeared in BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage, with physicist Brian Cox, physician and science writer Ben Goldacre, author Simon Singh, musician Tim Minchin, and comedians Helen Arney and Robin Ince, and with The Infinite Monkey Cage Tour, the live show based on the programme.{{citation |author=Hollingshead, Iain |title=Brian Cox and co: sexy science pulls in the crowds |date=10 December 2011 |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8946805/Brian-Cox-and-co-sexy-science-pulls-in-the-crowds.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210222617/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8946805/Brian-Cox-and-co-sexy-science-pulls-in-the-crowds.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2011 Rutherford is a frequent guest on the Little Atoms radio chat show,{{citation |author=Atoms, L |title=Adam Rutherford on Little Atoms |url=http://www.littleatoms.com/adamrutherford.htm

In 2011 he conceived and directed Space Shuttles United,{{citation |title=Our love letter to the Shuttle |date=21 July 2011 |website=Of Schemes and Memes Blog |publisher=Nature Publishing Group |url=http://blogs.nature.com/ofschemesandmemes/2011/07/21/our-love-letter-to-the-shuttle |author=Rutherford, A |title=Space shuttles united – a video tribute |date=21 July 2011 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/jul/21/space-shuttles-united-video-tribute

He co-presented The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with mathematician Hannah Fry. In 2023 the programme aired its 21st series on BBC Radio 4. In October 2024 the series returned as Curious Cases, still with Fry but Dara O'Briain replacing Rutherford as co-presenter.

In late 2022, he presented the series Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics, on BBC Radio 4. The series is based on his book, Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics.

He is also a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week.

Public speaking and outreach

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Adam_Rutherford_QED_01.jpg" caption="Adam Rutherford speaking at QEDCon 2013, on the Origin and the Future of Life"] ::

Rutherford is a frequent speaker at scientific and academic events and a guest at local science and sceptical events, such as Skeptics in the Pub.{{citation |author=Jago, Crispian |title=Adam Rutherford at Winchester Skeptics in the Pub |date=23 April 2011 |url=http://crispian-jago.blogspot.ca/2011/04/adam-rutherford-at-winchester-sitp-28th.html |title=Synthetic biology, hip hop and the law |date=14 February 2013 |journal=Soho Skeptics |url=http://soho.skepticsinthepub.org/Event.aspx/1303/Synthetic-biology-hip-hop-and-the-law |title=From Chuck D to Chuck D: Hip Hop, Remixing and Synthetic Biology |date=6 February 2014 |journal=Norwich Skeptics in the Pub |url=http://norwich.skepticsinthepub.org/Event.aspx/1855/From-Chuck-D-to-Chuck-D-Hip-Hop-Remixing-and-Synthetic-Biology

In 2013, he was an invited speaker at the QED conference in Manchester, and at the 2013 North East Postgraduate Conference, and delivered the 11th Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture at the Royal Geographical Society in London for Save the Rhino International.{{citation |title=The eleventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture – Dr Adam Rutherford & Stephen Mangan |date=1 March 2013 |url=http://www.douglasadams.com/news/ |author=Rutherford, AD |title=Eleventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture |date=12 March 2013 |journal=British Science Association |url=http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/node/9668 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121065121/http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/node/9668 |archive-date=21 November 2013 |title=Darwin Day Lecture 2012 |year=2012 |journal=The Pod Delusion |url=http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/tag/adam-rutherford/

Rutherford was a judge and host of the award ceremonies for the 2012 and 2013 Google Science Fairs. In June 2017, he participated in a public discussion with Alan Alda at the University of Dundee, on the occasion of Alda's receiving an honorary degree from that institution. In November 2017, he participated in a debate with Robert Winston on the subject of superhumans at the University of Southampton. He is also critical of 23andMe, describing it as an "empty promise" to find out where you "came from"

Awards and honours

• 2014 Wellcome Book Prize shortlist for Creation: The Origin of Life
• 2017 Wellcome Book Prize longlist for A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
• 2021 David Attenborough Award and Lecture, Royal Society
• 2024 Royal Society Young People's Book Prize shortlist for Where Are You Really From?

Books

• Creation: The Origin of Life / The Future of Life, Penguin Books (2014),
• A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2016), – UK edition
• A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes, The Experiment (2017), – updated US edition
• Genetics (illus. Ruth Palmer), Ladybird Books (2018),
• The Book of Humans: The Story of How We Became Us, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2018),
• Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature—A New Evolutionary History, The Experiment (2019),
• How to Argue with a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality (2020)
• Rutherford and Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (with Hannah Fry) (illus. Alice Roberts) (2021)
• Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics (2022)
• Where Are You Really From? (2023)

Personal life

Rutherford is a founding member of the Celeriac XI Cricket club.

References

References

1. Anon. (2018). "Adam David RUTHERFORD". [[Companies House]].
2. Rutherford, Adam. "Kia ora, chur bro!".
3. Anon. (2012). "Rutherford, Adam David".
4. (4 October 2006). "One of the zany Men in White". [[East Anglian Daily Times]].
5. "BBC Inside Science – Adam Rutherford – BBC Radio 4". [[BBC]].
6. {{Google scholar id
7. {{EuropePMC
8. (10 August 2020). "Dr Adam Rutherford". UCL Division of Biosciences.
9. "Alice Roberts hands Humanists UK Presidency to Adam Rutherford".
10. Rutherford, Adam. (22 May 2012). "World Goth Day has roused dark memories in me". [[The Guardian]].
11. (6 May 2011). "Bin Laden more deadly as a martyr". [[Ipswich Star]].
12. Rutherford, Adam David. (2002). "The role of CHX10 in the development of the mammalian retina". University College London (University of London).
13. Lezard, Nicholas. (28 January 2014). "Creation: The Origin of Life/The Future of Life by Adam Rutherford – review". The Guardian.
14. Rutherford, Adam. (4 April 2013). "Creation: The Origin of Life / The Future of Life". Viking.
15. "Curious Cases". BBC.
16. "Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics". BBC.
17. "BBC Radio 4 - Start the Week, City living".
18. "An Evening With Alan Alda: Events".
19. "Creation: the Origin and the Future of Life".
20. (2013). "From Chuck D to Chuck D: Evolution, synthetic biology and the story of hip hop". 2013 North East Postgraduate Conference.
21. (23 May 2019). "Humanists will always stand up to racism: the Voltaire Lecture 2019". Humanists UK.
22. Sager, Christian. (26 August 2013). "Who Judges Genius in Google's 2013 Science Fair?". Stuff of Genius.
23. "IDS 10th Anniversary Event". University of Southampton.
24. "The Guardian, As a geneticist, I will not mourn 23andMe and its jumble of useless health information". Adam Rutherford.
25. (25 February 2014). "Andrew Motion announces shortlist for the Wellcome Book Prize 2014". Wellcome Trust.
26. GrrlScientist. (26 February 2014). "Wellcome Trust's Book Prize 2014 shortlist announced". [[The Guardian]].
27. "Wellcome Book Prize 2017". Wellcome Book Prize.
28. "Royal Society David Attenborough Award and Lecture".
29. "Where Are You Really From?".

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