Jonathan is a scientist with a passion for performance and communication. Now in the final stages of a PhD in neuroscience at Oxford, his earlier studies ranged from linguistics to biochemistry. Previously he worked for the Science Media Centre and ran the blog and podcast Nerd Alert, as well as acting and singing in productions in Oxford, London, Edinburgh and his home town of Adelaide. More recently he has written for The Conversation and presented videos for Head Squeeze. This year he was a runner-up in the science presenting competition FameLab and in 2014 he will join the BBC science news desk on an Ivan Noble Bursary. |
Optimism versus Pessimism
"I was impressed by the intensity of the debate and the high level of intellectual engagement, not least by the audience. It was an invigorating, even exhilarating experience to be part of a festival based on the conviction that disagreement is good. The Battle of Ideas is a fantastic concept, may it spread epidemically to the rest of the world. I am already looking forward to next year's event."
Thomas Hylland Eriksen, professor of social anthropology, University of Oslo; novelist