Heinz Oberhummer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heinz Oberhummer
Born	Heinz Oberhummer (1941-05-19)19 May 1941 Bischofshofen, Austria
Died	24 November 2015(2015-11-24) (aged 74)
Nationality	Austrian
Alma mater	University of Graz Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Children	2
Scientific career
Fields	Theoretical Physics
Institutions	Vienna University of Technology

Heinz Oberhummer was an Austrian scientist who studied physics. He was also known for being a "skeptic," which means he encouraged people to think critically and question things, especially claims that don't have scientific proof.

About Heinz Oberhummer

Heinz Oberhummer was born in Bischofshofen, a town in Austria. He grew up in a place called Obertauern. He went to university to study physics at the University of Graz and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

He lived in a village called Oberwölbling in Austria. Heinz Oberhummer was married and had two children. He passed away in Vienna on November 24, 2015.

His Work in Physics

Heinz Oberhummer was a professor of Theoretical Physics at the Atominstitut of the Vienna University of Technology. Theoretical physics uses math and models to understand how the universe works.

His main research was about something called nucleosynthesis. This is the process where new atomic nuclei are created from existing protons and neutrons. It's how elements like carbon and oxygen are formed inside stars. He also looked into the idea of the fine-tuning of the Universe. This idea suggests that the basic rules and numbers of our universe seem perfectly set up for life to exist.

Oberhummer and his team studied how carbon and oxygen are made in giant stars. Their work helped show how special the conditions in the universe are for these important elements to form.

He also started "Nuclei in the Cosmos." This is a very important international meeting for scientists who study how elements are made in space.

Sharing Science with Everyone

Heinz Oberhummer was very keen on making science easy for everyone to understand. He created online learning tools and helped with projects like "Cinema and Science," which used movies to teach about science.

He was also part of a popular science comedy group called Science Busters [de]. With his friends Werner Gruber and Martin Puntigam, he performed shows in Vienna. They also had a weekly radio show and podcast on the Austrian youth radio station FM4.

Heinz Oberhummer was a member of several groups that promoted critical thinking and science. He was part of the Giordano Bruno Foundation and the "Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften" (GWUP). This group is part of a worldwide movement that encourages people to think scientifically. He was also the president of the Austrian branch of GWUP and a group called "Zentralrat für Konfessionsfreie." He led an initiative called "Religion ist Privatsache" (Religion is a private matter), which supported the idea that religion should be a personal choice.

Heinz Oberhummer Award

Heinz Oberhummer Award for Science Communication
Location	Vienna, Austria
Reward	20.000 euros
First awarded	24 November 2016; 8 years ago (2016-11-24)
Television coverage
Network	ORF 1
Runtime	1 hour, 37 minutes

After Heinz Oberhummer passed away, a special award was created in his honor. It's called the Heinz Oberhummer Award for Science Communication. This award celebrates people who are great at explaining science to the public.

The award is given out by the Science Busters [de] group and several other important organizations, including the Technical University of Vienna and the City of Vienna.

Winners of the Oberhummer Award receive 20,000 euros and a unique glass filled with alpaca droppings! The award ceremony happens every year in Vienna and is shown on national television.

Award Winners