Nick Kaiser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Kaiser
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Nick Kaiser at the 2019 Gruber Prize ceremony
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| Born | 15 September 1954 Sheffield, England
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| Died | 13 June 2023 (aged 68) Paris, France
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| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (PhD) University of Leeds (BSc) |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society (2008) Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (2017) Gruber Prize in Cosmology (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | École Normale Supérieure University of Hawaii Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics |
| Thesis | Anisotropy of the microwave background radiation (1982) |
| Doctoral advisor | Martin Rees |
| Doctoral students | Shaun Cole |
Nicholas Kaiser (born September 15, 1954 – died June 13, 2023) was a smart British scientist who studied the universe. He was known as a cosmologist, which is someone who studies how the universe began, how it works, and how it will change.
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Life and Learning Journey
Nick Kaiser started his journey in science by studying physics at Leeds University in 1978. After that, he went to the University of Cambridge to study advanced mathematics.
He then earned his PhD in astronomy from the University of Cambridge. His teacher was a famous scientist named Martin Rees.
Where Nick Kaiser Worked
After finishing his studies, Nick Kaiser worked at several universities. He was a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada from 1988 to 1997.
In 1998, he moved to the University of Hawaiʻi to work at the Institute for Astronomy. Later, from 2017 to 2022, he taught at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, France.
In 2008, Nick Kaiser was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very special honor for top scientists in the United Kingdom.
Nick Kaiser passed away on June 13, 2023, when he was 68 years old.
Amazing Discoveries in Cosmology
Nick Kaiser made many important discoveries that helped us understand the universe better. Here are some of his key contributions:
- He was the first to figure out the polarization of the cosmic microwave background. This is like understanding how the very first light waves from the early universe were arranged.
- He explained why galaxies that are grouped together in big clusters seem to be more "clumped" than other matter in the universe.
- He helped calculate how the first "clumps" of matter formed in the early universe. These clumps eventually grew into galaxies and stars.
- He developed the math to understand redshift-space distortions. This is how the movement of galaxies affects how we see them from Earth.
- He helped calculate how many "halos" exist in the universe. These are invisible clumps of dark matter where galaxies are thought to form.
- He was the first to explain why large groups of galaxies, called galaxy clusters, don't always follow simple rules when they grow.
- He performed the first "inversion of shear maps" from weak gravitational lensing. This is a way to use the bending of light by gravity to map out invisible matter in space.
Nick Kaiser also wrote articles about how to measure distances in the universe.
He was also the main scientist behind a big project called PanSTARRS. This project uses powerful telescopes to take pictures of most of the night sky.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Nick Kaiser received many awards for his important work.
- Ontario Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Cosmology Program (1988)
- Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society (1989)
- NSERC Steacie Fellowship (1991–92)
- Herzberg Medal of the Canadian Association of Physicists (1993)
- Rutherford Memorial Medal of the Royal Society of Canada (1997)
- Asteroid 16193 Nickaiser was named in his honor. This means a small space rock is forever named after him!
- University of Hawaiʻi Regents Medal for Excellence in Research (2014)
- Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (2017)
- Gruber Prize in Cosmology (2019)
