Brian Cox (physicist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Cox
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Cox in 2016
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| Born | 3 March 1968 |
| Education | University of Manchester (BSc, PhD) |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Gia Milinovich
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Double diffraction dissociation at large momentum transfer (1998) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robin Marshall |
| Doctoral students | Tamsin Edwards |
Brian Edward Cox (born 3 March 1968) is an English physicist and musician. He is a professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester. He is also a Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science.
Professor Cox is famous for presenting science TV shows. These include the Wonders of... series and BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage. He has also written popular science books like Why Does E=mc2?.
Before becoming a scientist, Cox was a keyboard player. He played in the British bands Dare and D:Ream. Sir David Attenborough has called him a great science presenter for the BBC.
Contents
Brian Cox: Scientist and TV Star
Early Life and School
Brian Cox was born on March 3, 1968, in Oldham, England. He grew up in Chadderton with his younger sister. His parents worked at Yorkshire Bank. He remembers a happy childhood filled with activities like dancing and watching planes and buses.
He went to Hulme Grammar School in Oldham from 1979 to 1986. When he was 12, a book called Cosmos by Carl Sagan inspired him. It made him want to become a physicist. He once shared that he didn't do well in his maths A-level exam. He learned that practice is very important.
Music Career
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Brian Cox was a keyboard player in a rock band called Dare. They released two albums: Out of the Silence (1988) and Blood from Stone (1991).
Later, he joined the dance group D:Ream. This group had several hit songs in the UK. One of their most famous songs was "Things Can Only Get Better". In 2015, he played keyboards with the band New Order during a live show. He also wrote the introduction for a book about the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. He said their songs helped shape him and inspired him to make music.
Studying Physics
While playing music, Cox studied physics at the University of Manchester. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with top marks. After D:Ream broke up in 1997, he continued his studies. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in high-energy particle physics.
His PhD research was about something called "Double Diffraction Dissociation". He did this research at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg, Germany.
Science and TV Shows
Brian Cox is a particle physicist at the University of Manchester. He has worked on the ATLAS experiment at CERN. This is a huge science lab near Geneva, Switzerland, where they use the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
He has written several books about physics with Jeff Forshaw. These include Why does E=mc2? and The Quantum Universe.
Professor Cox is well-known for his many science shows on BBC radio and TV. He has appeared in the BBC Horizon series. He also narrated parts of the BBC's Bitesize revision programmes.
He presented the popular BBC Two series Wonders of the Solar System in 2010. This was followed by Wonders of the Universe in 2011. In 2013, he presented Wonders of Life, which looked at life and nature from a physicist's point of view.
He also co-presents Stargazing Live with comedian Dara Ó Briain. This is a live astronomy show that started in 2011. Since 2009, he has co-presented The Infinite Monkey Cage on BBC Radio 4. This is a fun science show with comedian Robin Ince.
Cox has given talks at TED events. He talked about the LHC and particle physics. He also helped as a science expert for the science fiction movie Sunshine. In 2013, he presented The Science of Doctor Who for the show's 50th anniversary. He explored the mysteries of time travel in this special. Later, he presented Human Universe and Forces of Nature.
In 2017, he voiced a character named Professor Ryan Farrow in the children's TV show Postman Pat.
TV Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2005–2009 | Horizon | Himself/presenter | Episodes:
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| 2008 | The Big Bang Machine | Presenter | |
| 2010 | Wonders of the Solar System | ||
| Dani's House | Himself | ||
| Would I Lie to You? | Panellist | ||
| 2011 | Wonders of the Universe | Presenter | |
| A Night with the Stars | |||
| The One Show | Guest | ||
| The Sky at Night | 700th episode | ||
| The Graham Norton Show | Series 8, Episode 16 | ||
| The Horizon Guide: Moon | Presenter | ||
| 2011–2012 | QI | Panellist | Episodes:
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| 2011–2017, 2019 | Stargazing Live | Co-presenter | All 6 episodes |
| 2012 | The Jonathan Ross Show | Guest | |
| Doctor Who | Himself (cameo) | "The Power of Three" | |
| 2013 | Wonders of Life | Presenter | |
| Science Britannica | September 2013, BBC Two | ||
| Conan | Guest | Episode 437 | |
| The Science of Doctor Who | Presenter | BBC Two | |
| In Search of Science | Episodes:
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| 2014 | CBeebies Bedtime Stories | Himself | Episode: "The Way Back Home" |
| Monty Python Live | |||
| Human Universe | Presenter | BBC Two | |
| Space, Time & Videotape | BBC Four | ||
| 2015 | Absolutely Anything | Himself (cameo) | |
| 2016 | Forces of Nature | Presenter | BBC One |
| The Entire Universe | BBC Two | ||
| Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe | Himself | 2016 Wipe (BBC Two) | |
| 2017 | Life of a Universe | Presenter | ABC |
| John Bishop: In Conversation With... | Himself (Series 3 Episode 10) | W | |
| Postman Pat | Professor Ryan Farrow (voice) | Episode: "Postman Pat and the Space Suit" (CBeebies) | |
| The 21st Century Race for Space | Presenter | BBC Two | |
| 2019 | The Planets | ||
| 2021 | Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time | ||
| Universe | |||
| 2022 | Mandy | Himself | Series 2, Episode 6 "The Curse of Mandy Carter" (BBC Two) |
| Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars | Presenter | BBC Two | |
| 2023 | A Symphonic Odyssey with Professor Brian Cox | Released by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on 2 January 2024. | |
| 2024 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Himself | Series 20 Episode 7 |
| Solar System | Presenter | BBC Two series | |
| Cunk on Life | Himself | BBC and Netflix production |
Music Albums
- Dare – Out of the Silence (1988)
- Dare – Blood from Stone (1991)
- D:Ream – D:Ream on Volume 1 (1993)
- D:Ream – In Memory Of... (2011)
Awards and Recognition
Brian Cox has received many awards for making science popular. In 2006, he won the British Association's Lord Kelvin Award. This was for his work in sharing science with everyone. In 2010, he won the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal and Prize. This award was for showing how exciting physics can be to the public.
He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010. This was for his services to science. In 2020, he was promoted to Commander (CBE).
In 2011, he won 'Best Presenter' from the Royal Television Society. His show Wonders of the Universe also won 'Best Science/Natural History programme'. He also won 'Best Performer' at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Wonders of the Solar System was named best documentary series of 2010.
In 2012, he received an honorary degree from the University of Huddersfield. He also received the Michael Faraday Prize from the Royal Society. This was for his excellent work in science communication. In 2016, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
Personal Life
In 2003, Brian Cox married Gia Milinovich. She is an American TV presenter and writer. They have a son, who was born in 2009. Gia also has a son from a previous relationship. They live in Battersea, London.
Brian Cox is a humanist. This means he believes in human values and reason. He is a supporter of the football club Oldham Athletic. He has a season ticket to watch their games.
