Timandra Harkness

Timandra Harkness is a British writer, presenter, and comedian. She holds a BA in Film and Drama with Art from Bulmershe College and a BSc in Mathematics & Statistics from the Open University, awarded in 2017. In 2021, she pursued postgraduate studies in Philosophy at Birkbeck College, London, completing an MA in 2023. Her career began in 1999 when she co-wrote a comedy with her mother, Linda Cotterill, titled ‘No Future in Eternity,’ which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 4. In 2004, Harkness formed the UK’s first comedy science double-act, the Comedy Research Project, with neuroscientist Dr. Helen Pilcher, performing stand-up shows about science. She continued her comedy work in 2012, co-writing ‘Your Days are Numbered: The Maths of Death’ with comedian Matt Parker, performing it across Australia and the UK. Her writing contributions have appeared in publications such as BBC Science Focus magazine, Significance, and The Daily Telegraph. In 1997, she won a column-writing competition organized by The Independent newspaper.

Harkness is known for her work as a broadcaster for BBC Radio 4, where her programs include documentaries such as ‘Data, Data Everywhere’ and ‘Personality Politics.’ She co-hosts ‘FutureProofing,’ a series that explores scientific advancements’ potential future impacts, and serves as a resident reporter for ‘The Human Zoo.’ Her book, ‘Big Data: Does Size Matter?’, published in 2016, offers an examination of the history of data collection, its societal implications, and its limitations across various sectors. Her second book, ‘Technology is not the Problem,’ was released in May 2024.

Since 2016, Timandra Harkness has chaired the ‘Data Debate’ series for the Alan Turing Institute and the British Library, facilitating discussions on big data and its societal consequences. She has spoken at various prestigious events and conferences, including the Hay Festival, the Battle of Ideas, TEDx, The Scotsman Data Conference, and the Cheltenham Science Festival. Harkness is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, a founding member of their special interest group on Data Ethics, and was elected to serve on the RSS Council from 2024, also chairing the editorial board for their magazine, Significance. She is additionally a visiting fellow at the University of Winchester’s Centre for Information Rights.