Johnny Ball
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Johnny Ball | |
 Johnny Ball in 1998
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| Born | May 23, 1938 Bristol, England |
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| Occupation | Presenter |
| Children | 3 |
Johnny Ball (born May 23, 1938) is a British television personality, a great populariser of mathematics and the father of former BBC Radio 1 DJ, and TV host, Zoë Ball. Originally from Bristol, he spent his primary years there and later in his childhood moved to Bolton, Lancashire.
He was a regular fixture on children's television in the 1970s and 1980s, presenting several series of popular science and technology programmes intended for children (including Think of a Number; Think Again; Think Backwards; Think...This Way and Johnny Ball Reveals All). He was also one of the hosts of infant education programme Play School. All of these shows (except the ITV programme ...Reveals All) appeared on the BBC. Ball's shows were renowned for presenting scientific and technological principles in an entertaining and accessible way for young people.
He was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1993 to 1996.
In 2003, he appeared on The Terry and Gaby Show in which he answered viewers' questions, though he prefers radio interviews to TV appearances, of which he makes very few.
In July, 2004 he was named in the Radio Times list of the top 40 most eccentric TV presenters of all time.[citation needed]
Ball is in favour of nuclear power and has given many talks and speeches arguing for the development of nuclear power.[1][2]
In November 2006, Ball voiced his opposition to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, which would require any adult working with children to be vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau. In an interview with The Sunday Times, he said: "It is like George Orwell's 1984... a quarter of adults will have to be checked... The fear we are instilling in [children] is abhorrent."[3]
[edit] Bibliography
- Ball, Johnny (2005). Think of a number. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 1-4053-1031-6.
- Ball, Johnny (2005). Go Figure!. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7566-1374-4. (American edition of "Think of a Number")
- Ball, Johnny (1982). Johnny Ball's Think Box. Puffin. ISBN 0-14-031545-4.
- Ball, Johnny (1987). Johnny Ball's Second Thinks. Puffin. ISBN 0-14-031819-4.
- Ball, Johnny (1983). Plays for Laughs. Puffin. ISBN 0-14-031548-9.
- Ball, Johnny (1979). Think of a number. BBC. ISBN 0-563-17755-1. (different from the 2005 book of the same name).
[edit] References
- ^ "A climate of fear", Science & Technology, BBC Manchester, 2007-10-24. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
- ^ Johnny Ball Potted Biography. iTeach (November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
- ^ "The 'toxic wall' around children" - The Sunday Times interview, November 2006
tales of maths and legends (a show in the lowry manchester talking about mathematicians such as renne descartes and alkwharizmi)
[edit] External links
- Johnny Ball biography and credits at BFI Screenonline
- Johnny Ball Productions—official site
- Think of a number... think Johnny Ball
- Johnny Ball 'slates' children's TV
- What Would Johnny Do? - Johnny Ball the role model
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by Pat Kane |
Rector of the University of Glasgow 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Richard Wilson |
