Ten Billion

Stephen Emmott leads Microsoft's Computational Science Laboratory in Cambridge, which develops new thinking to tackle fundamental problems in science in areas of societal importance. He is also Professor of Computational Science at the University of Oxford and has, among many other advisory roles, been scientific advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. His lecture on population and climate change, Ten Billion, was one of the Guardian's best theatre events of 2012.

An indispensable book ... Emmott's short, highly accessible and vividly illustrated book marshals compelling evidence that 'entire global ecosystems are not only capable of suffering a catastrophic tipping point, but are already approaching such a transition -- John Gray Guardian A valuable contribution to rekindling a discussion on global population -- Clive Cookson Financial Times Ten Billion is not easy to lose or ignore ... the cumulative effect of his uncluttered, unadorned prose, buttressed with graphs and illustrations, is significant ... Emmott does an excellent job of showing how we are changing the world around us -- Harry de Quetteville Daily Telegraph [Praise for Ten Billion, the stage production]: This is an hour of Matrix moments, of reminders of what underlies our daily lives. It's freeing to face the facts as well as alarming ... It informs, unsettles, provokes. Job done The Times Professor Emmott argues his case with an implacable logic. He is quiet, humane and deeply concerned and when he says... "I think we're fucked" you have to believe him -- Michael Billington Guardian A new kind of talk ... a daring one-man show in which Emmott desperately strives to pull together into one grand and devastating portrait the many ways we are impacting the planet New Scientist