Adam Rutherford – författare

''A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. You''ll be spellbound'' Brian CoxThis is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be.***''A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best'' Observer ''Magisterial, informative and delightful'' Peter Frankopan''An extraordinary adventure...From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past'' Alice Roberts

*FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVERYONE WHO EVER LIVED and HOW TO ARGUE WITH A RACIST*

WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?

Waging war?Sex for pleasure?Creating art?Mastery of fire?

In this thrilling tour of the animal kingdom, Adam Rutherford tells the story of how we became the unique creatures we are today. Illuminated by the latest scientific discoveries, THE BOOK OF HUMANS is a dazzling compendium of what unequivocally fixes us as animals, and reveals how we are extraordinary among them.

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''Adam Rutherford is a superb communicator, who eruditely explores the borderlands of history, archaeology, genetics and anthropology in this fascinating tour of our species'' DAN SNOW

''This superbly accessible discussion about who we humans really are is important and necessary'' CHRIS PACKHAM

''Charming, compelling and packed with information. I learned more about biology from this short book than I did from years of science lessons'' PETER FRANKOPAN

''An outstandingly clear and witty account that shows beyond doubt how much we are part of the animal world, and yet at the same time how different we have become'' HENRY MARSH

Control is a book about eugenics, what geneticist Adam Rutherford calls "a defining idea of the twentieth century." Inspired by Darwin's ideas about evolution, eugenics arose in Victorian England as a theory for improving the British population, and quickly spread to America, where it was embraced by presidents, funded by Gilded Age monopolists, and enshrined into racist American laws that became the ideological cornerstone of the Third Reich. Despite this horrific legacy, eugenics looms large today as the advances in genetics in the last thirty years-from the sequencing of the human genome to modern gene editing techniques-have brought the idea of population purification back into the mainstream.

Eugenics has “a short history, but a long past,” Rutherford writes. The first half of Control is the history of an idea, from its roots in key philosophical texts of the classical world all the way into their genocidal enactment in the twentieth century. The second part of the book explores how eugenics operates today, as part of our language and culture, as part of current political and racial discussions, and as an eternal temptation to powerful people who wish to improve society through reproductive control.

With disarming wit and scientific precision, Rutherford explains why eugenics still figures prominently in the twenty-first century, despite its genocidal past. And he confronts insidious recurring questions—did eugenics work in Nazi Germany? And could it work today?—revealing the intellectual bankruptcy of the idea, and the scientific impossibility of its realization.

Brought to you by Penguin. ''If only Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry were on tap to all of us, all the time . . . The pair have such a gift for making life, numbers and the forces at work in the universe all the richer, stranger, funnier and more marvellous.'' Stephen FryIn Rutherford and Fry''s comprehensive guidebook, they tell the complete story of the universe and absolutely everything in it - skipping over some of the boring parts.This is a celebration of the weirdness of the cosmos, the strangeness of humans and the fact that amid all the mess, we can somehow make sense of life.Our brains have evolved to tell us all sorts of things that feel intuitively right but just aren''t true: the world looks flat, the stars seem fixed in the heavenly firmament, a day is 24 hours... This book is crammed full of tales of how stuff really works. With the power of science, Rutherford and Fry show us how to bypass our monkey-brains, taking us on a journey from the origin of time and space, via planets, galaxies, evolution, the dinosaurs, all the way into our minds, and wrestling with some truly head-scratching questions that only science can answer:What is time, and where does it come from?Why are animals the size and shape they are?How horoscopes work (Spoiler: they don''t, but you think they do)Does my dog love me?Why nothing is truly round?Do you need your eyes to see?''A wonderfully engaging blend of wit, enthusiasm, clarity and knowledge.'' Bill Bryson''Like the universe itself, this book is multi-faceted, surprising and full of wonders. It''s also funny, wise and exceedingly brainy. You really owe it to yourself to read it.'' Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up© Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

''Nobody deals with challenging subjects more interestingly and compellingly than Adam Rutherford, and this may be his best book yet. This is a seriously important work'' BILL BRYSON''A fascinating and timely refutation of the casual racism on the rise around the world. The ultimate anti-racism guide for data-lovers everywhere'' CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ

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Race is real because we perceive it. Racism is real because we enact it. But the appeal to science to strengthen racist ideologies is on the rise - and increasingly part of the public discourse on politics, migration, education, sport and intelligence. Stereotypes and myths about race are expressed not just by overt racists, but also by well-intentioned people whose experience and cultural baggage steer them towards views that are not supported by the modern study of human genetics. Even some scientists are uncomfortable expressing opinions deriving from their research where it relates to race. Yet, if understood correctly, science and history can be powerful allies against racism, granting the clearest view of how people actually are, rather than how we judge them to be.

HOW TO ARGUE WITH A RACIST is a vital manifesto for a twenty-first century understanding of human evolution and variation, and a timely weapon against the misuse of science to justify bigotry.

How did an obscure academic idea pave the way to the Holocaust within just fifty years?Why does eugenics still loom large in the 21st century, despite its genocidal past?Did eugenics work? Could it work? Or was it always a pseudoscientific fantasy?

Throughout history, people have sought to reduce suffering, eliminate disease and enhance desirable qualities in their children. In the Victorian era eugenics, a full-blooded attempt to impose control over unruly biology, began to grow among the powerful and quickly spread to dozens of countries around the world. But these ideas are not merely historical: today, with new gene editing techniques, conversations are happening about tinkering with the DNA of our unborn children to make them smarter, fitter, stronger. Deeply steeped in contemporary genetics, CONTROL offers a vital account of one of the defining - and most destructive - ideas of the twentieth century.

*Winner of The Week Junior''s Children''s Book of the Year: STEM 2024!*

*Shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People''s Book Prize 2024!*

''Laugh out loud funny - and you''ll learn lots too!'' - Adam Kay, author of Kay''s Anatomy and Kay''s Incredible Inventions.''If I had had such a book when I was 10 or 11, I might well have set my sights on becoming a geneticist or some kind of biologist...'' - Stephen Fry

Go on an extraordinary adventure through millions of years of human history and learn the story of our species from evolution to dinosaurs to YOU!

Along the way, you will meet kings and queens, Pharaohs and Vikings, and see just how far and wide humans have migrated around the world. You''ll discover why we''re related to a super cheesy man and that no matter what skin colour you have, language you speak or place you are from - we all share the same small pool of ancestors.

Mind-boggling, entertaining and illuminating, this is the epic story of you and everyone who has ever lived!

''A BRILLIANT book about biology and belonging. Packed to its covers with fascinating facts, science and joy; I have a ten year old son who will LOVE this book.'' - Dr Alice Roberts, author of Wolf Road and The Incredible Human Journey

''Funny, silly and utterly rigorous - a book that will inspire awe and wonder in all that read it. It stands a better chance of making the world a better place than any book I''ve read recently.'' - Dr Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra Processed People

Winner: Children''s Book of the Year: STEM - The Week Junior Book Awards, October 2024

Shortlisted: Royal Society Young People''s Book Prize, November 2024

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries.In this irreverent and illuminating popular science show, award-winning geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford teams up with mathematics guru Dr Hannah Fry to solve puzzling conundrums sent in by listeners. For the past five years, they''ve been scrutinizing a cornucopia of cases using the power of science - from why people shout on their mobile phones to d how much the bacteria in our body weighs.As broadcast on BBC Radio, these 50 episodes tackle topics including what makes gingers ginger, how to make the perfect cup of tea, whether being left-handed affects your brain and why we get static shocks. Plus, they explain why the Earth spins, what''s inside a black hole, why tunes get stuck in our heads and how bats echolocate - as well as solving the enigma of why sex exists and discovering whether science can help you win the lottery.So whether you''re curious about déjà vu, wondering if we could shoot lasers to the moon, or simply desperate to identify the tiniest dinosaur, Fry and Rutherford have the answers you need. Helping them to find the solutions are a host of fellow scientists and special guests including Professors Alice Roberts, Marcus du Sautoy and Jim Al-Khalili; Jay Rayner; Shaun Keaveney, Rory Cellan-Jones and Duncan Wisbey.Presented by Drs Adam Rutherford and Hannah FryThis collection contains the original episodes of The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry as they first appeared on BBC Radio 4 on 15-19 February 2016 (Series 1), 30 May-3 June 2016 (Series 2), 3-7 October 2016 (Series 3), 5-9 December 2016 (Series 4), 13-17 March 2017 (Series 5), 12-16 June 2017 (Series 6), 25-29 September 2017 (Series 7), 8-12 January 2018 (Series 8), 26 February-2 March 2018 (Series 9), 28 May-1 June 2018 (Series 10)Producer: Michelle Martin©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry solve more of your everyday mysteries in these five fantastic radio seriesInquisitive investigators Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry are back to crack open another batch of baffling cases sent in by the great British public. Using the power of science, they find the surprising solutions to tricky questions such as ''Is anything really random''?, ''Why do we have hangovers?'', ''Is hypnotism real?'' and ''How do you make gold?''As broadcast on BBC Radio, these 29 episodes encompass classic cosmic conundrums - including whether there is intelligent alien life out there, if infinity exists, and how wormholes could allow us to time-travel - as well as probing more down-to-earth human quirks like our differing pain thresholds, our attraction to ''bad'' foods like chips and chocolate, and our varied regional accents. Plus, the duo embark on a cheery evolutionary thought experiment as they wonder what would happen if humanity became extinct...Also included is a Valentine''s episode about how love affects our brain, and a two-part Halloween special on why horror bewitches us so - and it''s Rutherford and Fry squared when Stephen Fry joins the show to find out why he struggles to remember faces.Among the many guest experts aiding the two Doctors in their investigations are quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili, cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, ''The Angry Chef'' Anthony Warner, stage hypnotist Ben Dali, psychologist Claudia Hammond, neuroscientist Sophie Scott, and Phil Plait, AKA The Bad Astronomer.Presented by Drs Adam Rutherford and Hannah FryThis collection contains the original episodes of The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry as they first appeared on BBC Radio 4 on 3-7 September 2018 (Series 11), 21 November-26 December 2018 (Series 12), 3 April-8 May 2019 (Series 13), 30 October-4 December 2019 (Series 14), 5 February-11 March 2020 (Series 15)Producer: Michelle MartinSeries 11 featuring: Monica Grady, Seth Shostak, Matthew Cobb, Sara Rugheimer, Peter Weyand, Polly McGuigan, Steve Haake, Colva Roney-Dougal, Bill Thompson, Tilly Blyth, Jim Al-Khalili, Irene Tracey, Steve PeteSeries 12 featuring: Janina Ramirez, Mark Thomas, Marina Tyndall, Trevor Cox, Steven Strogatz, Eugenia Cheng, Sean Carroll, Andrew Pontzen, Mark Miodownik, Linda Bartoshuk, Anthony Warner, Sally Adams, Andrea Sella, Adam RogersSeries 13 featuring: Ben Dali, Wendy Moore, Devin Terhune, Dawn Shaughnessy, Philip Ball, Jim Al-Khalili, Matt Chandler, Wayne Urquhart, Trevor Cox, Zoe Laughlin, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Sara Russell, Brendan Owens, Neil Comins, Steve Brusatte, Julia Clarke, Al NelsonSeries 14 featuring: Mathias Clasen, Margee Kerr, Claudia Hammond, David Poeppel, Sophie Scott, Brad Duchaine, Frank Close, Andrew Pontzen, Andrew Blum, Helen Willetts, Steven Strogatz, Matthew Cobb, Kate Jones, Phil PlaitSeries 15 featuring: Mark Miodownik, Lucie Green, Andrew Pontzen, Dr Helen Fisher, Claudia Hammond, Irene Tracey, Dr Nick Davis, Dr Giulia Poerio, Claire Jones, Jonathan Ball, Wendy Barclay, Carl Philpott. Richard Warren, Heather Massey, Kathryn Jeffs, Jim Al-Khalili, Jennifer Oullette©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Vor etwa 45.000 Jahren haben wir Menschen uns mit der Schaffung von Kultur, Werkzeugen, Symbolik und Kunst von unseren Vorfahren und Ursprüngen entfernt. Diese „kognitive Revolution“ gab uns das Gefühl, dass wir etwas Besonderes sind. Schriftsteller, Wissenschaftler, Philosophen und Religionen staunen seit Jahrtausenden über unsere Brillanz. Dennoch sind wir mit dem Rest der Natur durch Gene, Anatomie und Physiologie verbunden und in einer gemeinsamen Evolution verwurzelt. Alle Arten sind einzigartig, aber sind wir einzigartiger als andere Tiere?

Diese Frage geht an die Wurzel dessen, was wir sind. Doch viele wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse haben im Laufe der Zeit Zweifel an der Sonderstellung des Menschen aufkommen lassen. Dinge, die wir einst als einzigartig menschlich betrachtet haben, sind es nicht. Wir sind nicht die einzige Spezies, die z.B. Pläne für die Zukunft schmiedet, vergangene Entscheidungen bereut, um verlorene Leben trauert und Sex aus anderen Gründen als derZeugung von Nachkommen hat.