Matt Brown holds degrees in Chemistry (BSc) and Biomolecular Science (MRes). He has served as a scientific editor and writer at both Reed Elsevier and Nature Publishing Group, and has contributed to several previous science books, including Defining Moments in Science (2008, Cassell) and 1001 Inventions That Changed the World (2009, Cassell).

He served as the Royal Institution's quizmaster for several years, and has also put on science quizzes for the Royal Society, Manchester Science Museum, STEMPRA and the Hunterian Museum. He recently gave a lecture about Michael Faraday while rotating around the London Eye.

With comedian Helen Keen, he co-hosted a series of successful 'Spacetacular!' science-themed stage shows, culminating in a sell-out 2013 show at Leicester Square Theatre. Matt is also the author of London Day and Night (2015, Batsford), as well as forthcoming books Everything You Know About London is Wrong and Everything You Know About England is Wrong (also from Batsford). He also serves as Editor-at-Large of Londonist.com.