Jim Al-Khalili facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS FInstP
Jim Al-Khalili at the Royal Society admissions day in London, July 2018
Born	Jameel Sadik Al-Khalili (1962-09-20) 20 September 1962 (age 62) Baghdad, Iraq
Citizenship	United Kingdom
Education	Priory School, Portsmouth
Alma mater	University of Surrey (BSc, PhD)
Known for	The Life Scientific
Spouse(s)	Julie Frampton
Awards	Michael Faraday Prize (2007) Kelvin Medal and Prize (2011) Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication (2016)
Scientific career
Fields	Nuclear physics Quantum mechanics Quantum biology
Institutions	University of Surrey University College London Humanists UK BBC
Thesis	Intermediate Energy Deuteron Elastic Scattering from Nuclei in a Three-Body Model (1989)

Jameel Sadik "Jim" Al-Khalili (Arabic: جميل صادق الخليلي) was born on September 20, 1962. He is a famous Iraqi-British theoretical physicist and a great science communicator. This means he studies the rules of the universe using math and ideas, and he's also really good at explaining science to everyone!

Jim Al-Khalili is a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Surrey. He also holds a special role there, helping to share science with the public. You might have seen or heard him on BBC radio and television, as he often presents science shows and talks about new discoveries. In 2014, a UK research group called EPSRC recognized him as an inspiring leader in science and engineering. He also served as the president of Humanists UK for three years.

Jim Al-Khalili: Growing Up and Learning

Jim Al-Khalili was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1962. His father was an engineer in the Iraqi Air Force, and his mother, who was English, worked as a librarian. Jim moved to the United Kingdom for good in 1979.

After finishing his A-levels, which are important exams in the UK, he decided to study physics at the University of Surrey. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science, in 1986. He loved learning so much that he stayed at Surrey to get his PhD in nuclear reaction theory, which he finished in 1989. This was a big decision, as he turned down a job offer from a national laboratory to continue his studies!

Jim Al-Khalili's Science Career

Jim Al-Khalili talking about determinism at QED 2011

In 1989, Jim Al-Khalili received a special fellowship to do research at University College London. After that, he returned to the University of Surrey in 1991. He started as a research assistant and then became a lecturer. In 1994, he received another important research fellowship for five years. During this time, he became a top expert in creating mathematical models for unusual atomic nuclei, which are like the tiny centers of atoms. He has written many scientific papers about his work.

Today, Jim Al-Khalili is a full professor of physics at the University of Surrey. He also has a special role focused on helping the public understand science better. He has been involved with the British Science Association, helping to promote science. He also received an important fellowship from the EPSRC to work with the media.

Awards for Sharing Science

Jim Al-Khalili has received many awards for his amazing work in science and for explaining it to everyone. In 2007, he won the Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Prize for science communication. He was also made an Honorary Fellow of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Since 2000, he has been a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and that same year, he won their award for making physics popular.

He has given many talks in the UK and around the world, often for the British Council. He helps advise different science groups and even judges science competitions. In 2008, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen. In 2018, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists. In 2023, he was also made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2021, he was honored again, becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), for his great work in science and sharing it with the public.

Broadcasting and TV Shows

Jim Al-Khalili is well-known for his work on television and radio. He also writes articles for newspapers in the UK. In 2004, he helped present a TV show called The Riddle of Einstein's Brain. His big chance to present came in 2007 with Atom, a three-part series on BBC Four. This show explored the history of how we understand atoms.

In 2009, he presented another BBC Four series called Science and Islam. This show looked at the huge scientific progress made in the Islamic world many centuries ago. He has appeared on many other shows, including Tomorrow's World and Bang Goes the Theory. In 2010, he presented Chemistry: A Volatile History, which was about the history of chemistry.

Since 2011, he has hosted a popular radio show on Radio Four called The Life Scientific. On this show, he interviews famous scientists about their lives and work. Some of the scientists he has interviewed include Richard Dawkins, Alice Roberts, and Brian Cox. Jim also hosts an interview series on the University of Surrey's YouTube channel, where he talks to important people like David Attenborough. In 2011, he hosted Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity, a three-part series about electricity. In 2012, he presented a Horizon special about the search for the Higgs Boson, a tiny particle that helps us understand how things have mass.

You might have also seen Jim Al-Khalili in the funny mockumentaries Cunk on Earth (2022) and Cunk on Life (2024), where he was one of the experts interviewed.

Jim Al-Khalili's Personal Life

Jim Al-Khalili lives in Southsea, Portsmouth, with his wife, Julie. They have a son and a daughter.

Jim Al-Khalili is an atheist and a humanist. He has said that even though his mother was Christian and his father was Muslim, he grew up without being religious. He became the vice president of Humanists UK in 2016, after being their president for a few years. He also supports The Guildford Institute, which is a community center in Guildford.

Documentaries by Jim Al-Khalili