Inside the collider

In an admirable contribution to transparency at the BBC, Nick Higham tells us that five candidates have been shortlisted for the new post of BBC Science Editor.

Here's a joyous extract from the job advert "The world of science is vast and varied; from particle physics to climate change, from stem cells to earthquakes. The Science Editor will be an authoritative voice across this broad and often technical brief".

So, stepping up to the plate we have Susan Watts, from Newsnight; Richard Black, with a World Service pedigree (which will please Biased BBC); Fergus Walsh, natty handwaver from the Six O'Clock News; David Shukman, enamoured of ice floes and the USA, grandee of the 10 O'Clock bulletin, and survivor of the Oryx gaffe of 2001. 

In Nick's list, the "outside" candidate, (outside News, at least) is Michael Mosley, producer and presenter of science programmes including Horizon, Medical Mavericks, Inside the Human Body and The Story of Science. PPE from New College, Oxford, a later training in psychiatry, and now gracing the One Show sofa on medical topics - got to be worth a punt.