Adam Frank
Professor of Astrophysics, University of Rochester
About
Adam Frank is an American physicist, astronomer, and writer, and a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester. His research focuses on computational astrophysics, star formation, stellar evolution, exoplanet atmospheres, and astrobiology. He is known for connecting scientific questions about planets, life, civilizations, climate, and human experience for a broad public audience. Frank is also a co-author of The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience and has written extensively for NPR and other public science venues.
Key Contributions
- Studies computational astrophysics, star formation, stellar evolution, and the dynamics of complex cosmic systems
- Developed astrobiology work on exoplanets, technospheres, climate futures, and the possibility of exo-civilizations
- Co-authored the Silurian hypothesis with Gavin Schmidt, asking what traces an earlier industrial civilization might leave
- Uses books and public writing, including NPR's 13.8/Cosmos and Culture lineage, to connect science with meaning and culture
- Co-authored The Blind Spot, arguing that science cannot fully understand reality while ignoring lived experience
- His work usefully widens AI and science debates, though the cosmic scale can make practical implications feel speculative
