Fourth Estate

Simon Singh completed his PhD in particle physics at Cambridge University. After spending time at CERN, the European Centre for Particle Physics, he joined the BBC science department and was a producer and director on programmes such as Tomorrow’s World, Horizon and Earth Story.His documentary about the world’s most notorious mathematical problem was nominated for an Emmy and won a BAFTA. In 1997 he wrote a book on the same subject, entitled Fermat’s Last Theorem, which was the first mathematics book to become a No.1 bestseller in Britain and which has been translated into over twenty languages.In 1999 Simon published The Code Book, a history of codes and code breaking, which also became an international bestseller. He presented a five-part series on the history of cryptography for Channel 4, The Science of Secrecy, based on The Code Book. His most prized possession is a genuine World War II Enigma cipher machine.Simon’s most recent book is Big Bang, an exciting investigation into the beginnings of our universe.While continuing to write, Simon also presents programmes such as The Serendipity of Science and Five Numbers on Radio 4 and Mind Games on BBC4.Simon lives in London. His hobbies include gambling and listening to the Dixie Chicks and the Violent Femmes. You can find out more about Simon’s work and how to contact him via his website.