Writing

As well as my books, I write about technology, society and the future for a number of personal and professional platforms. You can find links to many of these, but not all, below.

I also write an informal blog on technology innovation and the future of being human over on Substack.

My writing ranges from expert commentary on emerging issues, to exploring new ideas and making new connections. Across it all, I have a passion for making often-complex and impenetrable ideas and insights as clear, accessible and relevant to readers as possible.

Ironically, I nearly failed English in high school. I was far more comfortable with the science that I built my career around. And yet, as I’ve grown from my physics roots into a transdisciplinary scholar whose work cuts across the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities, I’ve come to realize just how important effective communication is if we’re to work together toward building the future we aspire to. I began to write in earnest for a broad audience in 2007 for the NanoSafe initiative, and a year later launched the 2020 Science blog. This wrapped up just before we hit the year 2020, but since then I’ve continued to expand my public and popular writing.

Over the years, perhaps because I’ve been forced to overcompensate over the years for my early lack of ability, I’ve discovered I have a knack for writing in ways that make sense to readers from many different backgrounds.

On the other hand, it may also be because I’ve spent far too much time reading and being inspired by incredibly smart but decidedly non-academic writers!