23 Facts About Simon Singh

In 2012 Singh founded the Good Thinking Society, through which he created the website "Parallel" to help students learn mathematics.

Simon Singh has produced documentaries and works for television to accompany his books, is a trustee of the National Museum of Science and Industry, a patron of Humanists UK, founder of the Good Thinking Society, and co-founder of the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme.

Simon Singh was born in a Sikh family to parents who emigrated from Punjab, India to Britain in 1950.

Simon Singh is the youngest of three brothers, his eldest brother being Tom Singh, the founder of the UK New Look chain of stores.

Simon Singh grew up in Wellington, Somerset, attending Wellington School, and went on to Imperial College London, where he studied physics.

Simon Singh was active in the student union, becoming President of the Royal College of Science Union.

In 1987, Simon Singh taught science at The Doon School, an independent all-boys' boarding school in India.

In 1990 Simon Singh returned to England and joined the BBC's Science and Features Department, where he was a producer and director working on programmes such as Tomorrow's World and Horizon.

Simon Singh was introduced to Richard Wiseman through their collaboration on Tomorrow's World.

At Wiseman's suggestion, Simon Singh directed a segment about politicians lying in different mediums, and getting the public's opinion on whether the person was lying or not.

Simon Singh directed his BAFTA award-winning documentary about the world's most notorious mathematical problem entitled Fermat's Last Theorem in 1996.

Simon Singh presented The Science of Secrecy, a five-part series for Channel 4.

In October 2004, Simon Singh published a book entitled Big Bang, which tells the history of the universe.

Simon Singh made headlines in 2005 when he criticised the Katie Melua song "Nine Million Bicycles" for inaccurate lyrics referring to the size of the observable universe.

Simon Singh proposed corrected lyrics, though he used the value of 13.7 billion light years; accounting for expansion of the universe, the comoving distance to the edge of the observable universe is 46.5 billion light years.

Simon Singh was part of an investigation about homeopathy in 2006.

Simon Singh is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering.

Simon Singh has been involved in television and radio programmes, including Five Numbers.

In 2003 Simon Singh was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by Loughborough University, and in 2005 was given an honorary degree in Mathematics by the University of Southampton.

In June 2012, Simon Singh was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science for his contribution to science communication, education and academic freedom by The University of St Andrews.

In 2003, Simon Singh was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to science, technology and engineering in education and science communication.

On 1 April 2010, Simon Singh won his court appeal for the right to rely on the defence of fair comment.

The outrage over the initial ruling brought together several groups to support Simon Singh and acted as a focus for libel reform campaigners, resulting in all major parties in the 2010 general election making manifesto commitments to libel reform.