Adam Frank
Adam Frank was a contributor to the NPR blog 13.7: Cosmos & Culture. A professor at the University of Rochester, Frank is a theoretical/computational astrophysicist and currently heads a research group developing supercomputer code to study the formation and death of stars. Frank's research has also explored the evolution of newly born planets and the structure of clouds in the interstellar medium. Recently, he has begun work in the fields of astrobiology and network theory/data science. Frank also holds a joint appointment at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, a Department of Energy fusion lab.
Frank is the author of two books: The Constant Fire, Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate (University of California Press, 2010), which was one of SEED magazine's "Best Picks of The Year," and About Time, Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang (Free Press, 2011). He has contributed to The New York Times and magazines such as Discover, Scientific American and Tricycle.
Frank's work has also appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009. In 1999 he was awarded an American Astronomical Society prize for his science writing.
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We asked an astronomer to listen to Brian Eno's reissued Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, which features brand new music, to answer the question: "What do we think space should sound like?"
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These works make apparent how singular an achievement America's moon landing was — and show that half a century later we're still grappling to understand its long-term meaning.
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A century after the birth of quantum mechanics, no one is sure what it is telling us about the nature of reality — and Lee Smolin's book adds to a stream of excellent works on the topic.
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David Wallace-Wells' The Uninhabitable Earth and Nathaniel Rich's Losing Earth offer valuable perspectives on climate change — if we're committed to being adult enough to face the future.
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Douglas Rushkoff's knowledge of digital technology shines in his new book, horrifying us with the capacities of the machines we've built — and the ways they have been used against us.
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Through science commentary, we created a place for exploration of deep, complex issues. There's a hunger in all of us for more than just facts — we hunger for meaning, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
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Many people just don't want to talk about what it means to live in the face of death. Astrophysicist Adam Frank reflects on life and death — and invites others to do the same.
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In addition to its beautiful costumes and sweet homage to the New York City of the 1950s, the show offers an opportunity to reflect on the nature of genius, says commentator Adam Frank.
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Author Kim Stanley Robinson deserves a place as a true visionary: He has done more than just write good science-fiction — he's mapped out new territory in what it means to be human, says Adam Frank.
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Inside every plant there is an insanely complex molecular engine that turns sunlight into food — and across billions of years, photosynthesis shaped the history of the entire planet, says Adam Frank.