Author Bios

Stephen Aitken is a Canadian writer, editor, and naturalist whose work focuses on wildlife conservation, natural history, and the relationships between human communities and the wild world. With a background in wildlife science and a commitment to science communication, Aitken has contributed to the field through both editorial work and his own writing, making him…

Beth Pratt-Bergstrom is an American conservation advocate, writer, and wildlife activist who has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between wild animals and the people who share their landscapes. She serves as the California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, one of the country’s largest conservation organizations, and has become one of…

Thomas S. Kuhn was an American philosopher, historian, and sociologist of science whose work fundamentally transformed how scholars and the public understand the nature of scientific progress. Born on July 18, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kuhn studied physics at Harvard University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1943 and his doctorate in 1949. While still a…

Richard Cytowic is an American neurologist and author who has done more than perhaps any other scientist to bring the phenomenon of synesthesia to public and scientific attention. Born in 1952, Cytowic trained in neurology and practiced clinical medicine while pursuing his fascination with unusual perceptual experiences. His pioneering work established synesthesia not as a…

Ben Miller is a British actor, comedian, director, and science writer whose career has taken him from the comedy stages of Britain to the pages of popular science. Born in 1966 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, he studied natural sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge, before leaving academia to pursue a career in performance. He is best known…

Ainissa Ramirez is an American materials scientist, science communicator, and author whose work bridges the worlds of engineering, history, and popular science. She earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. After a career as a research scientist at Bell Laboratories and as a professor…

Q.T. Luong is a Vietnamese-American nature photographer widely regarded as one of the most accomplished landscape photographers working in the tradition of documenting America’s national parks. Born in Vietnam and educated in France, where he earned a doctorate in computer vision from Paris-Sud University, Luong immigrated to the United States and combined his analytical training…

Lucy Hawking is a British author and journalist best known for her work in making science accessible and engaging for young readers. Born in 1969 in London, England, she is the daughter of the legendary theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane Wilde Hawking. Growing up in the orbit of one of the…

Sheryl St. Germain is an American poet and essayist whose work is deeply rooted in the landscapes, cultures, and sorrows of Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, while reaching outward to address questions of addiction, environmental destruction, family, and survival that resonate far beyond any single region. Born and raised in New Orleans, St. Germain brings to…

Johannes Goransson is a Swedish-American poet, translator, and critic whose work occupies a distinctive and provocative position in contemporary American poetry. Born in Sweden and raised partly in the United States, Goransson brings to his writing a perspective shaped by his experience of cultural displacement, his deep engagement with the European avant-garde, and his immersion…