Timothy Ferris is an acclaimed American science writer, celebrated for his best-selling books and influential documentaries. Born on August 29, 1944, Ferris has authored twelve books, including The Science of Liberty (2010) and Coming of Age in the Milky Way (1988). The latter earned him the American Institute of Physics Prize and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize. His other notable work, The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report (1997), delves into the study of the universe.

Ferris has also made significant contributions to television through three PBS documentaries: The Creation of the Universe (1985), Life Beyond Earth (1999), and Seeing in the Dark (2007). These films have reached an audience of over 20 million viewers. Furthermore, he produced the Voyager phonograph record, an artifact aboard the twin Voyager interstellar spacecraft, encapsulating music and sounds from Earth.

Recognized as "the best popular science writer in the English language" by The Christian Science Monitor and "the best science writer of his generation" by The Washington Post, Ferris has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.