Adam
Astrophysicist Adam Frank is a leading expert on the final stages of evolution for stars like the sun. His computational research group at the University of Rochester has developed advanced supercomputer tools for studying how stars form and how planets evolve. His current work also focuses on life in the Universe with an emphasis on the “Astrobiology of the Anthropocene.”
A self-described “evangelist of science,” he is committed to showing others the beauty and power of science, and exploring the proper context of science in culture. His most recent book is Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth. He has written two other books, The Constant Fire: Beyond the Religion and Science Debate, and About Time: Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang. He is the co-founder of the blog 13.8 on BigThink.com which also ran on National Public Radio for 7 years. He is an on-air commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered and a contributor to the New York Times, NBC, Washington Post and elsewhere. He also served as the science consultant for Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
Adam Frank’s work in public outreach was recently honored via the American Physical Society’s 2020 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award for his “multi-channel promotion of public understanding of physics, of science in general, and of the relationship between science and society, using methods and venues that effectively engage and provoke discussion among policy makers, scientists, and the public regarding important issues.” Adam’s most recent book, Light of the Stars (W.W. Norton, 2018), which NPR deemed “a valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time,” was awarded the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science. The award is bestowed annually to scholarly books published in the United States and “recognizes superior books by scientists written to illuminate aspects of science for a broad readership.”
