Adam Frank
Adam Frank | |
---|---|
Born | 1962 |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Colorado University of Washington |
Known for | Popular scientific writing |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Physics, author, astrophysics professor |
Institutions | Leiden University University of Minnesota University of Rochester |
Adam Frank (born 1962) is an American
His popular writing has focused on issues of science in its cultural context. Topics include: issues of climate and the human future, technology, and cultural evolution; the nature of mind and experience; science and religion. He is a co-founder of the 13.7 Cosmos and Culture Blog that originated on National Public Radio (NPR),[1] and he is a regular on-air contributor to NPR's All Things Considered. He is an occasional contributor to the New York Times.
Life and career
Frank was born on August 1, 1962, in Belleville, New Jersey.[
Frank's research focus is astrophysical fluid dynamics. His research group developed the AstroBEAR adaptive mesh refinement code used for simulating magneto fluid dynamics flows in astrophysical contexts.[3] Projects using AstroBEAR include the study of jets from protostars as well the evolution of planetary nebula at the end of the life of a solar-type star.
Popular writing
In 2008, Frank authored an article for Discover magazine that explored scientific arguments regarding the big bang theory.[4] Frank's first book, entitled The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate, was published in 2009. It discussed the ongoing relationship between science and religion. His work appeared in 2009 Best Science and Nature Writing [5] and in 2009 Best Buddhist Writing.[citation needed] In 2010, Frank co-founded the NPR 13.7 Cosmos and Culture Blog with Marcelo Gleiser.[6]
A second book by Frank was published in fall 2011, About Time: Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang. It explores the relationship between changing ideas in cosmology and the cultural idea of time.[7] In 2016, Frank wrote an article entitled "Yes, There Have Been Aliens". It is based on his astronomical observations, which stated "a trillion civilizations still would have appeared over the course of cosmic history".[8] Frank wrote a college-level science textbook entitled Astronomy At Play in the Cosmos. It was published in September 2016.[9] Another book by Frank, Light of the Stars. Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth, was published on June 12, 2018. It attempts to reframe debates about climate change by showing it to be a generic phenomena that is likely to occur with almost any technological civilization on any planet. In the book, he explores what Frank calls the Astrobiology of the Anthropocene.[10] Frank and Gleiser's blog moved to Orbiter magazine [11] in 2018 with a new name, 13.8: Science, Culture, and Meaning.[12]
Shortly after he and colleagues were awarded a grant from the
In September 2023, astrophysicists, including Frank, questioned the overall current view of the
Awards and recognition
- 1995 Hubble Fellow [2]
- 1997-2002 NSF CAREER Grant[15]
- 1999 American Astronomical Society Solar Physics Division Popular Writing Award for a Scientist [16]
- 2009 Best American Science and Nature Writing [17]
Bibliography
- "In the nursery of the stars". Discover. 17 (2): 38–45. February 1996.
- The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs Religion Debate, ISBN 978-0-520-26586-8
- The End of the Beginning: Cosmology Culture and Time at the Twilight of the Big Bang, (27 September 2010), ISBN 978-0-452-27606-2
- Light of the Stars. Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth, (12 June 2018), ISBN 978-0-393-60901-1
References
- ^ "13.7: Cosmos And Culture". NPR. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Hubble Fellowships: Listing of all Hubble Fellows 1990-2014". Space Telescope Science Institute. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Simulating Magnetohydrodynamical Flow with Constrained Transport and Adaptive Mesh Refinement: Algorithms and Tests of the AstroBEAR Code
- ^ Frank, Adam, 3 Theories That Might Blow Up The Big Bang, Discover
- ISBN 978-0547002590.
- ^ "About '13.7: Cosmos And Culture'". NPR. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ISBN 9781439169612.
- ^ Anderson, Ross (17 June 2016). "Fancy Math Can't Make Aliens Real". The Atlantic. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- Frank, Adam (10 June 2016). "Yes, There Have Been Aliens". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2016. - ^ Frank, Adam. Astronomy. W. W. Norton & Company. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ "Light of the Stars". W. W. Norton & Company. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ Orbiter magazine site
- ^ "A New Home for 13.7 . . . Make That 13.8". Orbiter. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ Frank, Adam, I'm a Physicist Who Searches for Aliens. U.F.O.s Don't Impress Me., the New York Times, May 30, 2021
- ^ Frank, Adam; Gleiser, Marcelo (2 September 2023). "The Story of Our Universe May Be Starting to Unravel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Award Abstract #9702484 CAREER: Understanding Stellar Overflows". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "Previous Winners of the SPD Popular Writing Awards". Solar Physics Division (SPD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ISBN 978-0547002590.