Martin Rees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Rees of Ludlow
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Official portrait, 2019
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| 60th President of the Royal Society | |
| In office 2005–2010 |
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| Preceded by | The Lord May of Oxford |
| Succeeded by | Paul Nurse |
| 78th President of the Royal Astronomical Society | |
| In office 1992–1994 |
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| Preceded by | Ken Pounds |
| Succeeded by | Carole Jordan |
| 39th Master of Trinity College, Cambridge | |
| In office 2004–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Amartya Sen |
| Succeeded by | Sir Gregory Winter |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 6 September 2005 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 June 1942 York, England |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
| Spouses | |
| Education | Shrewsbury School |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (BA, PhD) |
| Known for | Rees–Sciama effect 21-cm cosmology Coining particle chauvinism |
| Awards | Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics (1984) Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1987) Balzan Prize (1989) Bower Award (1998) Gruber Prize in Cosmology (2001) Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2003) Michael Faraday Prize (2004) Crafoord Prize (2005) Order of Merit (2007) Templeton Prize (2011) Isaac Newton Medal (2012) Dalton Medal (2012) HonFREng (2007) Nierenberg Prize (2015) Fritz Zwicky Prize (2020) Copley Medal (2023) Wolf Prize in Physics (2024) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy Astrophysics |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge University of Sussex |
| Thesis | Physical processes in radio sources and inter-galactic medium (1967) |
| Doctoral advisor | Dennis Sciama |
| Doctoral students |
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Martin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, born on June 23, 1942, is a famous British scientist. He studies the universe, especially how it began and how galaxies form. This field is called cosmology and astrophysics. He has held many important positions, including being the Astronomer Royal since 1995. He was also the head of Trinity College, Cambridge, and the President of the Royal Society.
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Early Life and Learning
Martin Rees was born in York, England. His parents were teachers. He went to Shrewsbury School when he was 13. Later, he studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge. He then earned his PhD in 1967. His studies happened during an exciting time for space science. Many new things were being discovered, like the Big Bang theory being confirmed. Scientists also found neutron stars and black holes around this time.
A Career in Space Science
After finishing his studies, Martin Rees worked as a professor at different universities. He taught at University of Sussex and later at the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge, he was a special professor of astronomy. He also led the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
He became a member of the Royal Society in 1979. This is a very old and respected group of scientists. From 2004 to 2012, he was the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. This means he was in charge of the college. He also became the President of the Royal Society in 2005, serving until 2010.
Martin Rees has also helped guide many students who went on to become important scientists themselves. Some of his students include Roger Blandford and Priyamvada Natarajan.
Exploring the Universe
Martin Rees has written over 500 research papers about space. He also writes books for everyone, not just scientists. He gives many talks and appears on TV and radio to share his knowledge.
He has done important work on how the cosmic microwave background radiation formed. This is like an echo from the early universe. He also studied how galaxies group together and form. He was one of the first to suggest that huge black holes power bright objects called quasars. He also explained that some very fast movements seen in space might be an optical illusion.
Since the 1990s, he has studied gamma-ray bursts. These are powerful explosions in space. He also looked into how the first stars formed after the "cosmic dark ages." He has thought about the idea of a multiverse. This is the idea that our universe might be just one of many universes.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Besides his scientific research, Martin Rees talks a lot about challenges facing humanity. He discusses how science, ethics, and politics are connected.
In his books, he warns about possible dangers from new technologies. These include things like bioengineering and artificial intelligence. But he also believes that technology can make life much better if we manage it well.
He believes it's important to search for life beyond Earth. He has even led a group for a project called "Breakthrough Listen." This project uses powerful telescopes to listen for signs of intelligent life in space.
He also helped start the "Longitude Prize" in 2014. This prize offers money to solve big problems. One prize is for reducing the overuse of antibiotics. Another is for helping people with dementia.
Awards and Honors
Martin Rees has received many awards for his amazing work. He was the president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1992 to 1994. He has also received honorary degrees from many universities around the world.
In 2005, he was made a life peer. This means he became a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. He sits there as an independent member, not belonging to any political party. In 2007, he received the Order of Merit. This is a very special honor given by the Queen. In 2024, he won the Wolf Prize in Physics.
Some of his other awards include:
- 1984 – Heineman Prize
- 1987 – Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
- 1989 – Balzan Prize for High Energy Astrophysics
- 1992 – Knight Bachelor
- 2001 – Gruber Prize in Cosmology
- 2003 – Albert Einstein World Award of Science
- 2004 – Michael Faraday Prize for science communication
- 2005 – Crafoord Prize
- 2011 – Templeton Prize
- 2012 – Institute of Physics Isaac Newton Medal
- 2023 – Copley Medal
An Asteroid named 4587 Rees was named after him. Also, a scholarship at Shrewsbury International School is named in his honor.
Personal Life
Martin Rees married Caroline Humphrey, who is an anthropologist, in 1986. He is an atheist, meaning he doesn't believe in a god. However, he has said that he thinks some atheists are too harsh towards people who are religious. He supports the Labour Party, but he does not officially join any party in the House of Lords.
See Also
- Particle chauvinism
Images for kids
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A robot, symbolizing future technology.
