Philip E. Mason is a British scientist best known for his YouTube channel, Thunderf00t.
Education
He has a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry, and studied multiple areas of biochemistry. Mason received a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from the University of Birmingham in 1993 and 1997, respectively. Mason worked at Cornell University"s department of food science until 2011, where he studied the molecular interactions between water and sugar molecules, as well as molecular modeling with regard to proteins and guanidinium solutions.
Career
From 2003 until at least August 2010, Mason was affiliated with the University of Bristol. As of winter 2013, he was working at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czechoslovakian Republic, where he was working with a research group headed by Pavel Jungwirth. Mason was the lead author in a paper, published in Nature Chemistry, that argued that alkali metal reactions with water can cause a Coulomb explosion.
Mason has co-authored 34 scientific papers, of which he is the lead author of 20.
As of December 2014 he is still actively publishing research. Through his YouTube account Thunderf00t, he has made a series of videos entitled "Why do people laugh at creationists?", focusing primarily on Kent Hovind"s arguments in public seminars.
Mason is also known for responding to arguments made by Ray Comfort and intelligent design proponent Casey Luskin. Ian Steadman of the New Statesman criticized his videos about popular YouTube feminists, including Anita Sarkeesian.
Mason"s Twitter account was temporarily suspended on 19 September 2014 for allegedly violating Twitter"s "abusive behaviour" with his criticism.
Mason speculated that a short-lived campaign had been mounted against him. Mason"s account was later reinstated.
Politics
He produces science videos and social issue videos about politics, religion, and feminism.