Adam Frank

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Adam Frank

Astrophysicist

adam frank

Adam Frank is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester and a leading expert on the final stages of evolution for stars like the Sun. Frank's computational research group at the University of Rochester has developed advanced supercomputer tools for studying how stars form and how they die. A self-described “evangelist of science," he is the author of four books and the co-founder of 13.8, where he explores the beauty and power of science in culture with physicist Marcelo Gleiser.

Everything Videos Articles
View of Earth from space showing a partially illuminated hemisphere with detailed ocean and cloud patterns against a backdrop of stars.
13.8
Gaia theory: The once-controversial idea that life shapes Earth’s evolution
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface. Instead, it managed to take over the geospheres.
Adam Frank
A large astronomical observatory, featuring the futuristic dome structure of an ELT, stands majestically in a desert landscape. A small red vehicle is visible near the base of the observatory.
Hard Science
The Extremely Large Telescope will supercharge our view of the cosmos
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will have a light-collecting power 10 times greater than today's best telescope.
Adam Frank
13.8
A new model for defining life across the Universe
Physicists have increasingly begun to view life as information-processing "states of matter" that require special consideration.
Adam Frank
Abstract image of interconnected golden lines and nodes forming complex geometric patterns against a dark background, resembling a neural network or web.
13.8
Complexity science could transform 21st-century research. Here’s how.
The future belongs to complexity.
Adam Frank
An image shows three panels of brainwave patterns on the left, with colorful lines of computer code on the right.
13.8
Even the smartest AI likely won’t be “alive.” Here’s why.
33 years ago, the theoretical biologist Robert Rosen offered an answer to the question "Is life computable?"
Adam Frank
A dark, rocky planet is shown in space with a bright star in the background, surrounded by numerous smaller stars and cosmic dust clouds.
13.8
Nearby TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet may have a rich atmosphere after all
In 2023, data from the James Webb Space Telescope soured hopes that TRAPPIST-1 c had an atmosphere. That disappointment might have been premature.
Adam Frank
Illustration of a drone exploring over a dusty, red martian landscape with mountains in the background.
13.8
Dragonfly: The billion-mile mission to explore Saturn’s biggest moon
NASA's minivan-sized drone is scheduled to search for signs of life on Titan in 2034.
Adam Frank
A minimalistic graphic depicting dual shades of blue, segmented horizontally, with small white dots scattered throughout, resembling a starry night sky.
13.8
QBism: The simplest interpretation of quantum physics
Discover how Quantum Bayesianism challenges traditional quantum mechanics by focusing on the role of the observer in creating quantum reality.
Adam Frank
An image of a glass jar containing a brain on a textured background.
13.8
The key problem with the “brain in a vat” thought experiment
Even with the best technology imaginable, you'd probably never be able to exist as a consciously aware brain in a vat.
Adam Frank
Colorful interstellar gas and dust form towering pillars in a star-forming region of space.
13.8
How the Universe forges stars from cosmic clouds
A deep dive into the chaotic journey of star formation.
Adam Frank
A statue of a woman with a red blindfold on her head, symbolizing the human experience in the realm of science.
13.8
The “blind spot” in science that’s fueling a crisis of meaning
Here's the case for why science can't keep ignoring human experience.
Adam Frank, Marcelo Gleiser & Evan Thompson
An illustration of a woman's head with lines drawn on it.
13.8
Stop saying that ChatGPT “hallucinates”
To hallucinate means you must first perceive.
Adam Frank
A group of people standing in a circle.
13.8
Have we created a society that’s too complex to survive?
Human civilization has always survived periods of change. Will our rapidly evolving technological era be an exception to the rule?
Adam Frank
A man with a beard is standing in front of a screen.
13.8
Alan Wake 2: Blurring the lines between gaming and revelatory art
Big Think columnist Adam Frank makes the case for why the 2023 video game Alan Wake 2 is a boundary-pushing piece of art.
Adam Frank
A black background with blue bubbles on it.
13.8
What reality does quantum theory describe? QBism has a radical answer
Explore how QBism reframes science by placing the observer at the heart of quantum reality.
Adam Frank
A forest overlaid with an image of a city
13.8
Biology or technology: Which moves more information per second?
The answer is set to change in the year 2113, a recent estimate suggests.
Adam Frank
An image of a planet in space.
13.8
The “oxygen bottleneck” may leave aliens stuck with primitive technology
Fire was crucial to the evolution of human technology. That's why alien species stuck in the "oxygen bottleneck" may be forever primitive.
Adam Frank
An artist's rendering of an object in space.
13.8
Dyson spheres and the quest to detect alien technosignatures
These theoretical megastructures represent one way an advanced civilization might harvest energy from stars.
Adam Frank
An image of a moon with lava on it.
13.8
Flatter Earth: Without plate tectonics, our planet once looked much different
Looking back on our planet's early history offers a new (and less crazy) meaning for the idea of a "flat Earth."
Adam Frank
A black and white photo of a building that has been destroyed in New Jersey.
13.8
The most important lesson about being a scientist I learned in New Jersey
"I grew up in New Jersey in the 1970s and that experience gave me everything I needed to become a skeptic."
Adam Frank
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