Johnjoe McFadden

Science writer and geneticist Professor Johnjoe McFadden argues that the 14th-century friar William of Occam’s theory that the best answer to any problem is the simplest has inspired scientists through the ages and is still inspiring them today.

McFadden says the theory, known as Occam’s razor, can be seen in the hands of scientists from Copernicus to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. The theory suggests we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the theory that our cosmos has evolved. McFadden says Occam’s razor is as relevant today as it ever was even though many scientists working today don’t acknowledge they are using it.

Mcfadden is professor of molecular genetics at the University of Surrey and author of popular science books including Life on the Edge with Jim Al-Khalili, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society (Winton) Science Book prize.