Lord Martin Rees

Lord Martin Rees is a distinguished British cosmologist and astrophysicist, currently serving as Astronomer Royal and Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of Trinity College and a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and Leicester University.

Rees completed his education at the University of Cambridge, followed by post-doctoral positions in the UK and USA. He became a professor at Sussex University before returning to Cambridge in 1973 as a fellow of King’s College and Plumian Professor of Astronomy. He directed Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy for ten years, was a Royal Society Research Professor from 1992 to 2003, and served as Master of Trinity College from 2004 to 2012. In 2005, he was appointed to the House of Lords and served as President of the Royal Society from 2005 to 2010.

Rees is a prolific author, with notable books including “Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe,” “Our Final Hour: A Scientist’s Warning,” “From Here to Infinity: Scientific Horizons,” and “On the Future: Prospects for Humanity.” His extensive research covers black holes, galaxy formation, and cosmic microwave background radiation, with numerous papers published in journals like Nature and The Astrophysical Journal.

Today, Rees is actively engaged in addressing global catastrophic risks through the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), which he co-founded. His work focuses on leveraging scientific expertise to mitigate potential existential threats to humanity.