▁journalist ▁special izing ▁in ▁science ▁and ▁history . ▁After ▁gain ing ▁a ▁B Sc ▁in ▁gen et ics ▁from ▁Le ic ester ▁University ▁and ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁micro bi ology ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁science ▁writer , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁Dec oding ▁the ▁He av ens , ▁an ▁expl oration ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁and ▁significance ▁of ▁the ▁Ant ik y ther a ▁mechanism , ▁The ▁Sh adow ▁King : ▁The ▁B izar re ▁After life ▁of ▁King ▁T ut ' s ▁M ummy ▁and ▁C ure : ▁A ▁J our ney ▁In to ▁the ▁Science ▁of ▁Mind ▁Over ▁Body ( short list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁Ins ight ▁In vest ment ▁Science ▁Book ▁Prize ▁ 2 0 1 6 ). ▁A ▁former ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁science ▁journal ▁Nature ▁and ▁opinion ▁editor ▁at ▁New ▁Scient ist ▁magazine ▁in ▁London , ▁she ▁has ▁written ▁for ▁The ▁Guardian ▁and ▁The ▁Econom ist . ▁ ▁March ant ▁writes ▁that ▁" the ▁idea ▁for ▁Dec oding ▁the ▁He av ens ▁came ▁about ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁when ▁I ▁was ▁an ▁editor ▁at ▁the ▁science ▁journal ▁Nature . ▁A ▁research ▁paper ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁be ▁published ▁reve aling ▁the ▁work ings ▁of ▁a ▁s oph istic ated ▁ancient ▁device ▁called ▁the ▁Ant ik y ther a ▁mechanism . ▁The ▁story ▁gra bb ed ▁me ▁immediately , ▁and ▁I ▁was ▁des perate ▁to ▁find ▁out ▁more ▁about ▁this ▁myster ious ▁contra ption . ▁I ▁travel led ▁to ▁Ath ens ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁remains