I'm a freelance writer and broadcaster specializing in science stories, with a particular focus on physics, astronomy, cosmology, and the history of science; I also write frequently on minds, brains, and artificial intelligence, as well as a variety of other subjects. I've also taught at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto (where I earned an MA in 2014). I was awarded the Fleming Medal for Excellence in Science Communication in 2019.My most recent book is "The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe" (St. Martin's Press / Goose Lane 2014). My previous books are "Universe and a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything" and "In Search of Time: Journeys Along a Curious Dimension."I was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT in 2011/12. I've also recently completed a journalism fellowship at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (2018), and I was Science Communicator in Residence at York University in Toronto (2019). I've also been awarded the 2019 Fleming Medal for Excellence in Science Communication by the Royal Canadian Institute for Science.My writing credits include Scientific American, New Scientist, Smithsonian, Quanta, Undark, Aeon, Nautilus, NBCnews.com, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Walrus, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Sky News, Nature, and and many other newspapers, magazines and websites. I’ve also been a frequent contributor to the CBC Radio program Ideas (where I’ve made 13 feature-length documentaries) and have also contributed to Spark, Tapestry, The Current, and Quirks & Quarks, as well as Radio Netherlands and the Australian Broadcasting Corp.I also co-host a podcast called BookLab, together with science journalist Amanda Gefter. The podcast reviews popular science books.I'm also an avid amateur photographer. Some of my work (including some science-related images) can be seen at at flickr.com/photos/downtowndan.Specialties: Non-fiction writing, journalism, radio documentary production, podcasting, photography, astronomy, physics and cosmology, history of science, science education/outreach.