As the United States enters a new chapter with a new presidential administration, astrophysicist Adam Frank, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the听听at the听糖心传媒, reflects on what he calls this past year糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒渄ark times糖心传媒� amidst a raging COVID-19 pandemic and a divisive political climate.
One bright spot was the endurance of science.
糖心传媒淭hroughout all our turmoil, American science has not wavered,糖心传媒� Frank writes in a piece for NBC News. 糖心传媒淚nstead, American science in all its forms糖心传媒攖he institutions, individuals and culture糖心传媒攈as not only remained solid through the crises, but also provided us a path out of the darkness.糖心传媒�
Frank notes several striking examples of scientific breakthroughs in 2020: while vaccines usually take decades to develop, researchers worked tirelessly and used cutting-edge genetic science to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine in fewer than 12 months; artificial intelligent techniques based on Google糖心传媒檚 DeepMind pinpointed breast cancer cells with higher accuracy than doctors could; and the privately owned company SpaceX safely launched American astronauts into space.
These achievements show that greatness is possible, Frank writes, 糖心传媒渨hen we work together and hold fast to the truth.糖心传媒�
Frank糖心传媒檚 research is in the general area of theoretical astrophysics, and in particular, the hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic evolution of matter ejected from stars. A self-described 糖心传媒渆vangelist of science,糖心传媒� Frank has also been awarded several prestigious honors for his efforts to communicate about science. His most recent book,听听(W.W. Norton, 2018) was awarded the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science.
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Astrophysicist Adam Frank
A self-described 糖心传媒渆vangelist of science,糖心传媒� Frank regularly writes听and听speaks听about subjects like intelligent life forms in the universe, high-energy-density physics, space exploration and missions, climate change, and more.
