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91原创, reflects on what he calls this past year鈥檚 鈥渄ark times鈥� amidst a raging COVID-19 pandemic and a divisive political climate.
One bright spot was the endurance of science.
鈥淭hroughout all our turmoil, American science has not wavered,鈥� Frank writes in a piece for NBC News. 鈥淚nstead, American science in all its forms鈥攖he institutions, individuals and culture鈥攈as not only remained solid through the crises, but also provided us a path out of the darkness.鈥�
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鈥檚 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, 鈥渨hen we work together and hold fast to the truth.鈥�
Frank鈥檚 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 鈥渆vangelist of science,鈥� 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 鈥渆vangelist of science,鈥� 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.
