Oliver Morton writes about scientific and technological change and their effects. He concentrates particularly on the understanding and imagining of planetary processes. He’s a senior editor at The Economist. He was previously chief news and features editor at Nature and editor of Wired UK, and has contributed to a wide range of other publications. He writes on subjects from quantum physics to synthetic biology and moviemaking.
He’s authored three books: “Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination and the Birth of a World” (2002); “Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet” (2007), a book of the year in The Spectator and The Times Literary Supplement; and “The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World” (2015).
Oliver is also an honorary professor in Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy at University College London and has a degree in the history and philosophy of science from Cambridge University. He lives with his wife in Greenwich, England. The Asteroid 10716 Olivermorton is named in his honour.