JOHNNY BALL
Johnny Ball made a Doctor of Science at the University of Glasgow
Johnny has a passion for education and popularises science and mathematics - writing and presenting 23 Solo Television series, like "Think of a Number", "Think Again" for the BBC, and "Johnny Ball Reveals All" for ITV.
His TV shows and videos won 12 awards in as many years, including a New York International Emmy nomination, the ITVA "Presenter of the Year" Craft Award and BAFTA.
As a late 60's comedian, he featured in Val Doonican and Harry Secombe TV Shows, compered ITV's Christmas Night Spectacular, the first Rolling Stones Tour, starred in Sadlers Wells Opera and wrote Playaway and adult TV comedy before turning to factual information.
He was Lord Rector of Glasgow University 194/6, President National Association for Gifted Children 1991/7, has written 5 books, and devised GET SET which annually puts 400 girls through 26 projects at Imperial College. He opened the Science Museum's Launch Pad and hosted its 10th Anniversary.
His "Think of a Number" Roadshow toured for 13 years. He has written three science musicals, "The Michael Faraday All Electric Roadshow" and "Let the Force be with You!" which both reached over 250,000 9/13 year olds on tour, and "Energy Champions" for NORWEB, which drew rave reviews.
Enthusing on future prospects for science and technology, he addressed the Oxford Union (twice), lectured at RAF Cranwell, for the 1 Mec.E's 150th anniversary for BP, BNFI, IBM, ICI, 100 hundred years of the Electron for Sheffield Universities, Chinese Science for a Beijing Exhibition in Manchester, Histories of Shipping & Medical Science, and Maths master classes for Southampton University etc.
In just two weeks one October, he made 40 speeches. His pyrotechnical show, "Everything Burns" for Southern Counties Brigades, won the National Fire Prevention "Best Event" award. He lectured evaluating The Drug Scene, for parents, on behalf of Southern Counties Police.
As an official Ambassador for Engineering he has hosted presentations for National Grid and on Civil and Automotive Engineering, and for Tomorrow's World Exhibition he wrote seven new Engineering lectures for "The Campaign to Promote Engineering" and "Young Engineers".
He wrote, produced and presented "Structures", a CD ROM for the Gatsby Technology Program, with a Maths CD Rom introduction. He has received two honorary doctorates in Science from Glasgow (1997) and Sheffield Hallam Universities (1998).
Johnny will enliven any educational or corporate event, and his "Living History of Science" characters, Faraday, Newton, Brunel, Curie, Galileo, Einstein, Nightingale, Lady Ada Byron, et al, all scripted and directed by Johnny, are always in great demand.
His daughter Zoe, presented BBC1's "Live and Kicking and Radio One's Breakfast Show. They
have visited Mali together for Oxfam, and a lecture tour followed.