Maddox, John (Royden) 1925-

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MADDOX, John (Royden) 1925-

PERSONAL: Born November 27, 1925, in England; son of Arthur John and Mary Elizabeth (Davies) Maddox; married Nancy Fanning, November 11, 1960. Education: Oxford University, B.A., 1947, M.A., 1952.

ADDRESSES: Office—c/o Nature, 4 Little Essex St., London WC2R 3LF, England. E-mail—j.maddox@ nature.com.

CAREER: University of Manchester, Manchester, England, assistant lecturer, 1949-55; Manchester Guardian, Manchester, science correspondent, 1955-64; Nuffield Foundation, assistant director, 1964-66, director, 1975-80; Nature, London, England, editor, 1966-73, 1980-95; Maddox Editorial Ltd., chairman, 1973-75; writer.

AWARDS, HONORS: Edward Rhein Cultural Award, 1997; knighted for his contribution to science; honorary degrees from University of Surrey, 1988, University of East Anglia, 1993; University of Liverpool, 1995; Nottingham Trent University, 1996; and University of Glamorgan, Wales, 1997.

WRITINGS:

(With Leonard Beaton) The Spread of Nuclear Weapons, 1962.

Revolution in Biology, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1964.

The Doomsday Syndrome, McGraw (New York, NY), 1972.

Beyond the Energy Crisis, McGraw, 1975.

Prospects for Nuclear Proliferation, International Institute for Strategic Studies (London, England), 1975.

What Remains to Be Discovered: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe, the Origins of Life, and the Future of the Human Race, Martin Kessler (New York, NY), 1998.

Contributor to periodicals, including World Press Review.

SIDELIGHTS: Long-time Nature editor John Maddox is a theoretical physicist and writer who is known for his general expertise in the various sciences. He is a compelling advocate of greater scientific awareness for political leaders, government officials, and the general public. "I . . . hope that far more politicians and civil servants will understand what science is about," Maddox told a World Press Review interviewer, adding: "People who do not understand [science] should not regulate public affairs. The sooner we can integrate science into the general culture again the better off we will be." In that same interview, Maddox also expressed a desire for greater communication between scientific figures and the remaining civilian population. "I wish," he added, "that more member of the scientific community were able to talk about the larger problems as convincingly to the public as they seem to do among themselves."

Maddox has published books on subjects ranging from the proliferation of nuclear weaponry to the consumption of natural resources. In What Remains to Be Discovered: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe, the Origins of Life, and the Future of the Human Race, he writes on the nature of science throughout history, addressing such subjects as quantum mechanics, genetics, and cosmology. He renews his advocacy of greater scientific understanding between scientists and political figures. New Yorker reviewer Jim Holt notes that the book provides "a careful working out . . . of the near-term discoveries about matter and life which were augured by a couple of decades' worth of Nature articles." And Paul Raeburn, writing in New York Times Book Review, affirms that What Remains to Be Discovered "attempts to set an agenda for the coming decades, even centuries." Raeburn adds that Maddox "discusses what scientists need to find out, and where they might look." A Publishers Weekly reviewer describes What Remains to Be Discovered as "admirable if sometimes difficult," while an Economist critic adds "that there are few crannies of science he does not command." The Economist critic also noted that the book "offers a detailed catalogue of existing discoveries, especially during this century, and then draws particular attention to the points where this edifice displays gaps or tensions."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 1998, Gilbert Taylor, review of What Remains to Be Discovered: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe, the Origins of Life, and the Future of the Human Race, p. 298.

Economist, October 17, 1998, "Scientific Sense," pp. 12-13.

Information Services and Use, October, 1998, Tony Cawkell, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 282.

New Statesman, November 27, 1999, Will Self, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 64.

New Yorker, October 26, 1998, Jim Holt, "What's Left to Learn?," pp. 240-45.

New York Times Book Review, January 10, 1999, Paul Raeburn, review of What Remains to Be Discovered.

Physics Today, August 1999, Joel Primack, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 64.

Publishers Weekly, August 17, 1998, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 54.

Science, October 30, David L. Goodstein, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 886.

Sciences, January 1999, Joseph Traub, review of What Remains to Be Discovered, p. 39.

World Press Review, July, 1983, pp. 31-33.