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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Hidden in the narratives of 1970s comics like the Black Panther was an idea that grew like a seed in the imagination of kids like me: Science and heroism were indelibly linked, says Adam Frank.
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Computational propaganda was invented by people who realized the possibilities emerging from the intersection of new technologies and behaviors they create — and it's frightening, says Adam Frank.
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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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Supernova, volcanoes and all those other explosions are not just awesome sights: They are all essential players in cosmic evolution, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
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The best way to defend everything we really do know, according to science, is to begin by admitting our own ignorance — to ask "What don't you know?" says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
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From its first appearance, Star Trek has always been hopeful about the relationship between society and technology. Ethan Siegel doesn't lose sight of this in his book, Treknology, says Adam Frank.
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Take five minutes of your day, watch this amazing video of the birth of a new island in Tonga, and let its story and science knock you to the floor, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
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The present moment is made of a lot of pasts — and just as Scrooge's ghosts were really messengers of hope, the deepest truths of science and the infinite night are here for us, too, says Adam Frank.
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Oumuamua marks the first time humans have seen a visitor pass through our corner of the universe — renewing discussions of the origins of life, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
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There's more to the scientific method than what you learn in high school: Scientists argue with each other, too, and the participation of nature — whose say is absolute — is key, says Adam Frank.