Matt Ridley (b. 1958, UK) is a British science writer, journalist, and populariser, author of Genome and The Rational Optimist. Winner of awards for science communication and a member of the House of Lords, his works merge biology, economics, and history, explaining human and societal progress through evolutionary principles.
✨ In Genome, he told the story of humankind in 23 chapters — one for each chromosome. 📖 The Rational Optimist became a bestseller and a manifesto of faith in progress. 🌍 His works have been translated into more than 30 languages. 📰 Worked as a journalist for The Economist and other major outlets. 💡 Advocates the idea that cooperation and knowledge exchange drive evolution. 🏞 Fascinated by animal behaviour, he has written on morality and biology. 🎤 A frequent speaker at TED and global conferences. 📚 Also authored The Red Queen, exploring sexual selection in evolution. 😅 Funny fact: joked that structuring his book into 23 chapters was “DNA-approved.” 🤔 Curious note: despite being a “rational optimist,” he is sometimes criticised for excessive faith in markets.