Kip Thorne

The Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology

World-class physicist Kip Thorne has earned international recognition for his contributions in the field of gravitation physics, theoretical physics, and astrophysics. He received his B.S. in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1962 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1965. Thorne returned to Caltech as an associate professor in 1967 and is now The Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics.

Thorne's research has focused on Einstein's general theory of relativity and on astrophysics, with an emphasis on black holes and gravitational waves. Thorne initiated modern research on whether the laws of physics permit the existence of wormholes. In 1984, he cofounded the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project-the largest project ever funded by the National Science Foundation. The project is designed to allow scientists to "see" the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein's relativity theory. LIGO will begin its search for cosmic gravitational waves this summer.

Throughout the years, Thorne has served as mentor for many leading theorists who now work on observational, experimental, or astrophysical aspects of general relativity. He has written and edited books on topics in gravitational theory and high-energy astrophysics. In 1973, Thorne coauthored the textbook Gravitation, from which most of the present generation of scientists have learned general relativity theory. Thorne's landmark Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy, written in 1994, has been published in six languages, and editions in Chinese, Italian, Czech, and Polish are in press. Thorne has published more than 150 articles in scholarly journals.

Kip Thorne is also known for his ability to convey the excitement and significance of discoveries in gravitation and astrophysics to both professional and lay audiences. His work has appeared in magazines and encyclopedias such as Scientific American, McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology, and Collier's Encyclopedia among many others, and his presentations on subjects such as black holes, gravitational radiation, relativity, time travel, and worm holes have been included in PBS shows in the U.S. and in the United Kingdom on the BBC.

Thorne has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has been recognized by numerous awards including the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy, the Phi Beta Kappa Science Writing Award, and the American Physical Society's Lilienfeld Prize. He has been a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Danforth Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and Fulbright Fellow.