Matt Ridley

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Matthew (Matt) Ridley (born February 7, 1958 at Newcastle upon Tyne) (not to be confused with Mark Ridley) is an English science writer. He received a doctorate in zoology from the University of Oxford before commencing a career in science journalism. Ridley worked as a science correspondent for The Economist and The Daily Telegraph. He is the author of four acclaimed works of science popularization:

1994 The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature
1997 The Origins Of Virtue
1999 Genome
2003 Nature Via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes us Human, also later released under the title The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture in 2004

and

2006 Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code published in the US on June 2006, September 2006 in the UK. The book is part of the new "Eminent Lives" series, published by HarperCollins.

In these books Ridley explains the ideas that have grown out of the gene revolution in biology. In his commentary, Ridley is relatively unabashed in revealing his personal commitment to a libertarian philosophy, in contrast to Richard Dawkins, who holds similar positions on gene selectionism and atheism, but favors social democracy.

Ridley also edited The Best American Science Writing 2002, one of a series of annual science writing anthologies edited by Jesse Cohen. He was the first chairman of the International Centre for Life, a science park in Newcastle.

Ridley is married to the neuroscientist Anya Hurlbert and lives in England.