Background of author

I took a degree in Zoology in Edinburgh, 1978, under Professor Aubrey Manning.   My studies in evolutionary science in Edinburgh started me thinking about the way in which religion might fit into the evolutionary model.  This became my main academic interest.

I became a member of the Science and Religion Forum after graduating.  I suggested and helped to organise one of their early conferences on Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness.

I have worked as a school teacher since graduating, teaching Biology initially and more latterly IT/Computing.

I first published the concept that religious behaviour has evolved as it confers selective advantage in a newsgroup in 1994.  As far as I know this is the earliest publication of this hypothesis.

It may be a complete coincidence, given later publications elsewhere, that  I ended my posting in this newsgroup with the phrase ‘a god delusion’.