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Dr
Ian Johnston is an academic engineer and applied mathematician
with a passion for taking science to the masses. He
was scientific expert and Richard Hammond's aid on
'Battle of the Geeks' (BBC's 21st Century version of
'The Great Egg Race'), was academic consultant to "Electric
Dreams" and has been academic consultant to "Bang
Goes The Theory" since it started.
He toured with the "Bang Goes The Theory" Roadshow
in 2010 and 2011, appearing on-stage with the show's
presenters and on-pavement as the irrepressible Dr Megaphone
(Stand Up and Shout about Science).
In 2011 he appeared with Johnny Ball and Adam Hart-Davis
in a team of media scientists on "Celebrity Eggheads".
He believes that engineering is about to enter its most
exciting phase for years: a new scientific and industrial
revolution in which humanity must learn how do everything
again, but this time in a sustainable way. This breakthrough
is going to take the brightest, keenest, most imaginative
and creative minds for generations, and we have to start
enthusing people of all ages and backgrounds now.
Ian states that he doesn't just work in television for
fame and world travel. If the shows persuades one more
person to take up engineering and help solve the world's
problems, he'll be happy. A million would be better,
though.
He was born and grew up in Glasgow and now lives in Galloway
(south-west Scotland) with his wife Jane, son Sandy and
more classic cars than he cares to contemplate, some
of which work.
After studying engineering science at Oxford, Ian graduated
and started research on artificial knee joints. After
a couple of years he ran away from academic life to enter
full time training as a ballet dancer - returning to
the fold a year later when money and talent ran out simultaneously.
He is still an active amateur dancer and performs in
any show willing to have him. Any free time left is spent
sailing around the West Coast of Scotland in Jumblie,
his beloved Victoria 26 sailing yacht.
Since 1991 he has worked for the Open University as a
Staff Tutor (lecturer) in Technology, which means that
he jointly overseas academic aspects of the presentation
of technology faculty courses throughout Scotland.
His official research is in superconductivity, in which
he has gained his doctorate. However, he finds informal
research just as entertaining and rewarding: his two
most famous inventions are the world's most flippable
drinks mat (the Aeromat, designed in 2003) and the Technotowel
(2004), a bath towel which doesn't fall off when you
answer the door to the vicar after a shower. Neither
of these have made it into production yet, but he remains
open to offers.
From November 2005 until June 2006 he was seconded to
work as Director/CEO of the Active Training and Education
Trust, an educational charity which runs residential
holidays for children. In 2006 he founded the EcoWeek
Trust, which runs green-themed residential holidays for
children at and with the Centre for Alternative Technology
in Wales and in the Peak District. |
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