Brian J. Ford Explained

Brian J. Ford
Birth Place:	Corsham, Wiltshire, England
Nationality:	British
Occupation:	Scientist, author and broadcaster

Brian J. Ford HonFLS HonFRMS (born on May 13, 1939 in Corsham, Wiltshire^[1]) is an independent research biologist, author, and lecturer, who publishes on scientific issues for the general public. He has also been a television personality for more than 40 years. Ford is an international authority on the microscope.^[2] Throughout his career, Ford has been associated with many academic bodies. He was elected a Fellow of Cardiff University in 1986, was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Leicester,^[3] and has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Microscopical Society^[4] and of the Linnean Society of London.^[5] In America, he was awarded the inaugural Köhler Medal^[6] and was recently recipient of the Ernst Abbe medal awarded by the New York Microscopical Society.^[7] In 2004 he was awarded a personal fellowship from NESTA,^[8] the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. During those three years he delivered 150 lectures in scores of countries, meeting 10,000 people in over 350 universities around the world.

Education

Ford attended the King's School, Peterborough, and then Cardiff University to study botany and zoology between 1959 and 1961, leaving before graduating to set up his own multi-disciplinary laboratory.^[9]

Career and positions

Universities

• Honorary fellow of Cardiff University^[10]
• Former dining member of Gonville and Caius College^[11] University of Cambridge
• Honorary member of Keynes College, University of Kent
• President Emeritus of Cambridge Society for the Application of Research^[12]
• Former Fellow at the Open University^[13]
• Formerly Visiting Professor at the University of Leicester^[14]
• President (and now President Emeritus) of University of Cambridge Society for the Application of Research^[15]

Learned Societies

• Fellow of the Linnean Society - serving as a member of their council as their Zoological Secretary and is their honorary surveyor of scientific instruments^[9]
• Fellow of the Institute of Biology - a former member of their council and chairman of their history network^[9] (He also edited: Institute of Biology: The First Fifty Years which is devoted to the history of this Institute.^[16])
• Life fellow of Cambridge Philosophical Society
• Fellowship by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and Art in 2004
• Honorary Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society - appointed in February 2017, having been elected as an ordinary fellow in 1962^[9]

Other positions

He was the first British President of the European Union of Science Journalists' Associations, founding Chairman of the Science and Technology Authors Committee at the Society of Authors, and the president of the Cambridge Society for the Application of Research (CSAR) of Cambridge University.^[17] Ford has been a member of Mensa and was a director of British Mensa from 1993–1997, resigning a few months after being elected for a second term.^{[18] [19]} He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society in 1962.

2012 aquatic dinosaur hypothesis

In the April 2012 issue of Laboratory News, Ford put forward the idea that all large dinosaurs were aquatic, arguing that they were too large and heavy to be land animals.^[20] Recent oxygen isotope analysis and taphonomic changes show clear evidence for a semi-aquatic lifestyle for Spinosaurus, in line with Ford's theories expounded in his original paper. Palaeontologists have not been conclusively persuaded that sauropod or ornithischian dinosaurs were semi-aquatic,^{[21] [22] [23]} although the small ankylosaurian Liaoningosaurus has been suggested to have had such a lifestyle in line with Ford's theories. ^[24]

Bibliography

Books

• Allied Secret Weapons: the War of Science; Weapons Book #19, . USA Ballantine Books, 1970., UK, Macdonald, 1970.
• Microbiology and food, (hardback), UK, Catering Times, 1971. (paperback). UK, Northwood, 1970.
• German secret weapons, blueprint for Mars, . Australia, South Africa, & New Zealand, Macdonald.
• Nonscience . . . or how to rule the world, . UK, Wolfe, 1971.
• The optical microscope manual, past and present uses and techniques, . UK, David & Charles, 1973. . USA, Crane Russak, 1973.
• The revealing lens, mankind and the microscope, . UK, George Harrap, 1973.
• Microbe power, tomorrow's revolution, . UK, Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. . USA, Stein and Day, 1976.
• Patterns of sex, the mating urge and our sexual future, . UK, Macdonald and Janes, 1979. . USA, St Martin's Press, 1980.
• The Cult of the expert (hardback), (paperback) 0552122491. UK, Transworld, 1982.
• 101 questions about science, . UK, Hamish Hamilton, 1983.
• 101 more questions about science, . UK, Hamish Hamilton, 1984.
• Single lens, the story of the simple microscope, . UK, William Heinemann, 1985. . USA, Harper & Row, 1985.
• Compute, how, where, why ... do you really need to? . UK, Hamish Hamilton, 1985.
• The food book, . UK, Hamish Hamilton, 1986.
• The human body, . UK, Belitha Books, . USA, Belitha, 1990.
• The Leeuwenhoek legacy, . UK, Biopress, . UK, Farrand Press, 1991.
• Images of science, a history of scientific illustration, . UK, British Library, 1992. . USA, Oxford University Press, 1993.
• My first encyclopaedia of science, . UK, Kingfisher Books, 1993.
• The new Guinness book of records quiz book, . UK, Guinness Publishing, 1994.
• BSE the facts, . UK, Transworld, 1996.
• Genes, the fight for life, . UK, Cassells, 1999. . USA, Sterling Publications, 1999.
• Sensitive souls, senses and communication in plants, animals and microbes, . UK, Little, Brown, 1999.
• The Future of food, . UK, Thames & Hudson, 2000. . USA and Canada, Thames & Hudson, 2000.
• Secret language of life, how animals and plants feel and communicate, . USA, Fromm International, 2000.
• Using the digital microscope, . UK, Rothay House, 2002.
• Secret Weapons: Technology, Science and the Race to Win World War II, . UK, Osprey Publishing, 2011.
• Too Big To Walk: The New Science of Dinosaurs, . UK, William Collins, 2019.
• Nonscience Returns, ., UK, Curtis Press,2020.

Audio Book

• Understanding Viruses, 30 Questions, 25 Geniuses, 100 Amazing Insights, . USA, Finding Genius Foundation, 2021.

Book chapters

• "The recovery, removal, and reconstruction of human skeletal remains, some new techniques", chapter in Field manual for museums. Paris, UNESCO, 1970.
• "Récuperation, enlèvement et reconstitution des ossements", chapter in Musées et recherches sur le terrain. Paris, UNESCO, 1970.
• Brian J Ford explains why he considers Cardiff the most unappreciated city in the world, chapter in The Cardiff book, . Barry: Stewart Williams Publishers, 1973.
• "Discharge to the environment of viruses in wastewater, sludges and aerosols", chapter with JS Slade in Viral pollution of the environment, ed: G Berg, . Boca Raton, CRC Press, 1983.
• "Sexually transmitted diseases", chapter in Sex and Your Health ed J Bevan, . London, Mitchell Beazley, 1985.
• "Las Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual y Otras que las Imitan", chapter in El Sexo y la Salud ed J Bevan, . Barcelona, Editorial Planeta, 1985.
• "Exploring South Wales", chapter in Walking in Britain, ed J. Hillaby, . London: William Collins, 1988.
• Robert Hooke, an introduction to Hooke's Micrographia, commentary on CD-ROM edition of Micrographia, 1665 . Palo Alto, Octavo, 1998.
• "Witnessing the birth of the microscope", photoessay in Millennium yearbook of science and the future, . Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2000.
• "Eighteenth-century scientific publishing", chapter in Scientific books, libraries and collectors, . London, Thornton & Tully, 2000.
• "Scientific Illustration", chapter in vol 4 of The Cambridge history of science, ed R Porter . Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001.
• "Hidden secrets in the Royal Society archive", chapter 3 in Biological collections and biodiversity, eds BS Rushton, P Hackney and CR Tyrie, . Otley, Westbury Academic and Scientific Publishing, 2001.
• "Trouble on the hoof, disease outbreaks in Europe," chapter in 2002 book of the year, . Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2002.
• "Human behaviour and the changing pattern of disease", chapter in The changing face of disease, implications for society, . London and Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2004.
• "What Next After SARS?" (Severe acute respiratory syndrome), chapter in 2004 book of the year, . Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2004.
• "Bird flu, the next pandemic?", chapter in 2006 book of the year, . Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006.
• "Robert Hooke", [in] The Great Naturalists,, editor Rob Huxley, Natural History Museum, UK: Thames & Hudson, 2007.
• "Antony van Leeuwenhoek" [in] The Great Naturalists,, editor Rob Huxley, Natural History Museum, UK: Thames & Hudson, 2007.
• "Cork and blood smear with Leeuwenhoek microscope" [in] Introduction to Microbiology,, US: Sudbury MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc., 2007.
• "Microscopy in early neurology" [in] Whitaker, Harry; Smith, C. U. M. & Finger, Stan, (editors) Brain, Mind and Medicine: essays in 18th century neuroscience, . Springer, 2007.
• "Did Physics matter to the Pioneers of Microscopy?" [in] Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics 158: 27-87, Editor Professor Peter W Hawkes, . New York: Academic Press, 2009.
• "Culturing Meat for the Future: Anti-death versus anti-life", [in] Tandy, Charles (editor) Death And Anti-Death, Volume 7, . Palo Alto: Ria University Press, 2010.
• "The Future of Food" [in] Faculty of Medicine Study manual, (two volumes). Japan: Z-kai Inc., Shizuoka, 2019.
• "Robert Brown's Microscope, 1827-1833", [in] 50 Objects, Stories and Discoveries, . London: Linnean Society, 2020.

External links

• Profile by University of Leicester
• Interview by Spiked-online
• Profile from 'The World is Open'

Notes and References

1. GRO Register of Births: JUN 1939 5a 88 CHIPPENHAM – Brian J. Ford
2. Web site: Brian J Ford: Life through a microscope . Wiley. 9 Oct 2017. 27 January 2017. .
3. Web site: Scientist, Author and Broadcaster to Support University's Developments in E-Learning. Leicester. 15 March 2013. Leicester, UK. English. 10 February 2013.
4. Web site: New Honorary Fellow Announced. Royal Microscopical Society. 16 March 2017. Leicester, UK. English. 1 January 2017.
5. Web site: Congratulations to our newly-elected Fellows 'honoris causa'. Linnean Society. 7 June 2021. Leicester, UK. English. 10 January 2021.
6. Web site: Brian J Ford wins inaugural Köhler medal in America. ResearchGate. 11 November 2020. New York, US. English. 17 August 2020.
7. Web site: Brian J. Ford Receives the New York Microscopical Society Ernst Abbe Award. Ernst Abbe. 11 November 2020. New York, US. English. 17 August 2020.
8. Web site: The NESTA Reports by Brian J Ford. Nesta_(charity). 18 November 2021. Illinois, US. English. 7 August 2021.
9. Web site: Prof Brian J Ford announced as RMS Honorary Fellow. Royal Microscopical Society. 15 March 2017. Oxford, UK. English. 27 February 2017.
10. Web site: All recipients. Honorary Fellows. Cardiff University. 17 March 2023.
11. http://mcri.org/home/section/101-209/the-2007-inter-micro-program McCrone Research Institute (McRI) – Chicago, IL
12. Web site: Cambridge Society for the Application of Research | CSAR.
13. http://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowshipscheme/profile.cfm?fellow=8&menu=3 The Royal Literary Fund
14. Web site: University of Leicester - Scientist, Author and Broadcaster to Support University's Developments in E-Learning. 14 August 2023 .
15. http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/people/distinctions/2000-2009/2007/02/nparticle.2007-02-22.8594863079 University of Leicester – Leicester Professor elected at Cambridge
16. Institute of Biology: The First Fifty Years, Institute of Biology,
17. Web site: Society for the Application of Research..
18. "Mensa Elections", p.4, Mensa Magazine October 1993
19. "Musical Chairs", p.4, Mensa Magazine March 1998
20. A prehistoric revolution. 3 April 2012. Ford. Brian J. Laboratory News. https://web.archive.org/web/20140921072203/http://www.labnews.co.uk/features/prehistoric-revolution-2/. 21 September 2014. dead.
21. Amiot, R., Buffetaut, E., Lécuyer, C., Wang, X., Boudad, L., Ding, Z., ... & Zhou, Z. (2010). Oxygen isotope evidence for semi-aquatic habits among spinosaurid theropods. Geology, 38(2), 139-142.
22. Ibrahim, N., Maganuco, S., Dal Sasso, C., Fabbri, M., Auditore, M., Bindellini, G., ... & Pierce, S. E. (2020). Tail-propelled aquatic locomotion in a theropod dinosaur. Nature, 581(7806), 67-70.
23. Beevor, T., Quigley, A., Smith, R. E., Smyth, R. S., Ibrahim, N., Zouhri, S., & Martill, D. M. (2021). Taphonomic evidence supports an aquatic lifestyle for Spinosaurus Cretaceous Research, 117, 104627..
24. Ji . Q. . Wu . X. . Cheng . Y. . Ten . F. . Ji . Y. . 2016 . Fish-hunting ankylosaurs (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Cretaceous of China . Journal of Geology . 40 . 2 . 183-190. 10.3969/j.issn.1674-3636.2016.02.183.