Ordinary Academicians

Martin John Rees

Date of Birth 23 June 1942
Place York (UK)
Nomination 25 June 1990
Field Astronomy
Title Professor

Most important awards, prizes and academies
Awards: Heinemann Prize of Amer. Inst. Phys. (1984); Bappu Medal, Indian Nac. Sci. Acad. (1986); Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society (1988); Schwarzschild Medal, Astronomischege sellschaft (1989); Guthrie Prize, Institute of Physics (1989); Balzan International Prize (1989); Robinson Prize for Cosmology (1990); Bruce Medal, Astron. Soc. Pac. (1993); Science writing award, Amer. Inst. Phys. (1996); Bower Prize for Science, Franklin Institute (1998); Rossi Prize, Amer. Astro. Soc. (2000); Gruber Prize for Cosmology (2001); Albert Einstein Award of World Cultural Congress (2003); Descartes Prize (2004); Faraday Award, Roy Soc (2004); Crafoord Prize, Royal Swedish Academy (2005); Life Peerage (2005); Niels Bohr Medal, UNESCO (2005); Order of Merit (2007). Academies: Fellow, Royal Society (1979); Foreign Associate, Nat. Acad. Sci. (1982); Foreign Hon. Mem., Amer. Acad. of Arts and Sci. (1975); Foreign Member, Amer. Phil. Soc. (1993); Associate Fellow, TWAS (2007). Hon. Fellow: Indian Nat. Sci. Acad. (1990); Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1993); Russian Academy of Sciences (1994); Norwegian Academy of Science (1996); Accademia dei Lincei (1996); Royal Netherlands Academy of Science (1997); Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters (2003); Darwin College, Cambridge (2004), King's College, Cambridge (2007); Royal Academy of Engineering (2007). Hon. Degrees: Sussex, Leicester, Uppsala, Keele, Newcastle, Copenhagen, Toronto, Cardiff, Durham, Oxford, Ohio, Exeter, Hull.

Summary of scientific research
Research has been mainly on topics in high energy astrophysics, cosmology and galaxies, and space science. Early work concerned the nature of cosmic radio sources, and interpreting the data that first became available in the 1960s on cosmology and very remote objects at high redshifts. Other topics have included the nature of the compact objects emitting strong x-rays, quasars, pulsars, gravitational waves, background radiation, the formation of galaxies, and physical processes in the early universe. He has also been interested in the interface between cosmology and philosophy. Outside the primarily academic sphere, he has also been involved in international space research, and in projects for education, etc. in developing countries.

Main publications
Books: Cosmic Coincidences, Bantam (USA) published by Heinemann (UK) under the title The Stuff of the Universe (with J. Gribbin), 1989 (+ German, Japanese, Danish, Polish and Spanish translations); revised by Penguin 1995; New perspectives in astrophysical cosmology (CUP, 1995. New expanded edition 2000); Before the beginning - our universe and others (published January 1997) (Simon & Schuster, UK; Perseus, USA; Fischer, Germany, and Italian and Spanish translations); Gravity's fatal attraction: black holes in the universe, Published December 1995 (Freeman, NY) pp. 246 (with M.C. Begelman). (Paperback updated edition March 1998, translated into 7 languages. New edition in preparation); Just Six Numbers (in Science Masters series: Basic Books (US) (Feb 2000, paperback April 2001) and Wiedenfeld and Nicolson (UK)) (Oct. 1999, paperback Oct 2000) translation into approx 20 languages; Our Cosmic Habitat, Princeton University Press, US (2001) Weidenfeld & Nicolson (UK) (2002) & various foreign editions; Our final century, Random House (UK) (published in US as Our Final Hour by Basic Books) plus various foreign editions (2003); La Lucciola e il Riflettore (The Searchlight and the Firefly) Di Renzo Editore (Publication April 2004) (in Italian only); Universe, published October 2005 by Dorling Kindersley (general editor); What we still don't know, Penguin Press (UK), Pantheon Press (US) (publication 2007). Papers: Approximately 500 research publications, plus many general articles, reviews, etc. TV series for Channel 4 shown in 2004.

Professional Address

University of Cambridge
Institute of Astronomy
Madingley Road
Cambridge CB3 0HA (UK)

The Far-Future Universe: Eschatology from a Cosmic Perspective

7-9 November 2000 Extra Series 12 Templeton Foundation Press, 2002 pp. 384 Contents and Preface ... Read more
The Future Universe: From a Cosmic Perspective

Working Group 7-9 November 2000 – Provisional agenda. 1. Physics of the universe: scenarios for the long-range future (A) Towards asymptopia: evolution of cosmic structure, death of stars,... Read more