Kip Stephen Thorne (born June 1, 1940) is an American
theoretical physicist known for his contributions in
gravitational physics and
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
. A longtime friend and colleague of
Stephen Hawking and
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...
, he was the
Richard P. Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman (; May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist, known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superflu ...
Professor of Theoretical Physics at the
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) until 2009
and is one of the world's leading experts on the astrophysical implications of
Einstein's general theory of relativity. He continues to do scientific research and scientific consulting, most notably for the
Christopher Nolan film ''
Interstellar''. Thorne was awarded the 2017
Nobel Prize in Physics
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
along with
Rainer Weiss and
Barry C. Barish
Barry Clark Barish (born January 27, 1936) is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.
In 2017, Baris ...
"for decisive contributions to the
LIGO detector and the observation of
gravitational waves".
Life and career
Thorne was born on June 1, 1940, in
Logan, Utah
Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...
. His father, D. Wynne Thorne (1908–1979), was a professor of soil chemistry at
Utah State University, and his mother, Alison (née Comish; 1914–2004), was an economist and the first woman to receive a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
in economics from
Iowa State College. Raised in an academic environment, two of his four siblings also became professors. Thorne's parents were members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church) and raised Thorne in the LDS faith, though he now describes himself as
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. Regarding his views on science and religion, Thorne has stated: "There are large numbers of my finest colleagues who are quite devout and believe in God .... There is no fundamental incompatibility between science and religion. I happen to not believe in God."
Thorne rapidly excelled at academics early in life, winning recognition in the
Westinghouse Science Talent Search
Westinghouse may refer to:
Businesses Current companies
*Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the company that manages the Westinghouse brand, with licensees:
** Westinghouse Electric Company, providing nuclear power-related services
**Westingho ...
as a senior at
Logan High School. He received his
BS degree from the
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1962, and his PhD from
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in 1965 under the supervision of
John Archibald Wheeler with a
doctoral dissertation entitled "
Geometrodynamics
In theoretical physics, geometrodynamics is an attempt to describe spacetime and associated phenomena completely in terms of geometry. Technically, its goal is to unify the fundamental forces and reformulate general relativity as a configurati ...
of Cylindrical Systems".
Thorne returned to Caltech as an associate professor in 1967 and became a professor of theoretical physics in 1970, becoming one of the youngest full professors in the history of Caltech at age 30. He became the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor in 1981, and the
Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1991. He was an adjunct professor at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
from 1971 to 1998 and Andrew D. White Professor at Large at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
from 1986 to 1992. In June 2009, he resigned his Feynman Professorship (he is now the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus) to pursue a career of writing and movie making. His first film project was ''
Interstellar'', on which he worked with
Christopher Nolan and
Jonathan Nolan.
Throughout the years, Thorne has served as a mentor and thesis advisor for many leading theorists who now work on observational, experimental, or astrophysical aspects of general relativity. Approximately 50 physicists have received PhDs at Caltech under Thorne's personal mentorship.
Thorne is known for his ability to convey the excitement and significance of discoveries in gravitation and astrophysics to both professional and lay audiences. His presentations on subjects such as
black holes,
gravitational radiation,
relativity,
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...
, and
wormhole
A wormhole ( Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a hypothetical structure connecting disparate points in spacetime, and is based on a special solution of the Einstein field equations.
A wormhole can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends at separate ...
s have been included in
PBS shows in the U.S. and on the
BBC in the United Kingdom.
Thorne and Linda Jean Peterson married in 1960. Their children are Kares Anne and Bret Carter, an architect. Thorne and Peterson divorced in 1977. Thorne and his second wife, Carolee Joyce Winstein, a professor of
biokinesiology and physical therapy at
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
, married in 1984.
Research
Thorne's research has principally focused on
relativistic astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
and
gravitation physics, with emphasis on
relativistic stars, black holes and especially
gravitational waves
Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity generated by the accelerated masses of an orbital binary system that propagate as waves outward from their source at the speed of light. They were first proposed by Oliver Heaviside i ...
.
He is perhaps best known to the public for his controversial theory that wormholes can conceivably be used for time travel. However, Thorne's scientific contributions, which center on the general nature of
space
Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consi ...
, time, and
gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
, span the full range of topics in general relativity.
Gravitational waves and LIGO
Thorne's work has dealt with the prediction of gravitational wave strengths and their temporal signatures as observed on Earth. These "signatures" are of great relevance to
LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory), a multi-institution gravitational wave experiment for which Thorne has been a leading proponent – in 1984, he cofounded the LIGO Project (the largest project ever funded by the
NSF) to discern and measure any fluctuations between two or more 'static' points; such fluctuations would be evidence of gravitational waves, as calculations describe. A significant aspect of his research is developing the
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
necessary to analyze these objects. Thorne also carries out
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
design analyses for features of the LIGO that cannot be developed on the basis of
experiment
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
and he gives advice on
data analysis
Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, enc ...
algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific problems or to perform a computation. Algorithms are used as specifications for performing ...
s by which the waves will be sought. He has provided theoretical support for LIGO, including identifying gravitational wave sources that LIGO should target, designing the baffles to control
scattered light in the LIGO beam tubes, and – in collaboration with Vladimir Braginsky's (Moscow, Russia) research group – inventing
quantum nondemolition designs for advanced gravity-wave detectors and ways to reduce the most serious kind of
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...
in advanced detectors:
thermoelastic noise. With
Carlton M. Caves
Carlton Morris Caves is an American theoretical physicist. He is currently Professor Emeritus and Research Professor of Physics and Astronomy
at the University of New Mexico. Caves works in the areas of
physics of information; information, entr ...
, Thorne invented the back-action-evasion approach to quantum nondemolition measurements of the
harmonic oscillator
In classical mechanics, a harmonic oscillator is a system that, when displaced from its equilibrium position, experiences a restoring force ''F'' proportional to the displacement ''x'':
\vec F = -k \vec x,
where ''k'' is a positive const ...
s – a technique applicable both in gravitational wave detection and
quantum optics.
On February 11, 2016, a team of four physicists representing the
LIGO Scientific Collaboration
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a scientific collaboration of international physics institutes and research groups dedicated to the search for gravitational waves.
History
The LSC was established in 1997, under the leadership of Barr ...
, announced that in September 2015, LIGO recorded the signature of two black holes colliding 1.3 billion light-years away. This recorded detection was the first direct observation of the
fleeting chirp of a gravitational wave and confirmed an important prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Black hole cosmology
While he was studying for his PhD in Princeton University, his mentor John Wheeler gave him an assignment problem for him to think over: find out whether or not a cylindrical bundle of repulsive magnetic field lines will implode under its own attractive gravitational force. After several months wrestling with the problem, he proved that it was impossible for cylindrical
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
lines to
implode.
Why is it that a cylindrical bundle of magnetic field lines will not implode, while spherical stars will implode under their own gravitational force? Thorne tried to explore the theoretical ridge between the two phenomena. He found out eventually that the gravitational force can overcome all interior pressure only when an object has been compressed in all directions. To express this realization, Thorne proposed his
hoop conjecture The hoop conjecture, proposed by Kip Thorne in 1972, states that an imploding object forms a black hole when, and only when, a circular hoop with a specific critical circumference could be placed around the object and rotated about its diameter. In ...
, which describes an imploding star turning into a black hole when the critical circumference of the designed hoop can be placed around it and set into rotation. That is, any object of mass M around which a hoop of circumference
can be spun must be a black hole.
As a tool to be used in both enterprises, astrophysics and theoretical physics, Thorne and his students have developed an unusual approach, called the "
membrane paradigm", to the theory of black holes and used it to clarify the "Blandford-Znajek" mechanism by which black holes may power some
quasars and
active galactic nuclei.
Thorne has investigated the
quantum
In physics, a quantum (plural quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity ( physical property) involved in an interaction. The fundamental notion that a physical property can be "quantized" is referred to as "the hypothesis of quantizat ...
statistical mechanical origin of the
entropy
Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodyna ...
of a black hole. With his
postdoc Wojciech Zurek, he showed that the entropy of a black hole is the
logarithm
In mathematics, the logarithm is the inverse function to exponentiation. That means the logarithm of a number to the base is the exponent to which must be raised, to produce . For example, since , the ''logarithm base'' 10 ...
of the number of ways that the hole could have been made.
With
Igor Novikov Igor Novikov may refer to:
*Igor Novikov (painter) (born 1961), Russian painter living in Switzerland
*Igor Novikov (pentathlete) (1929–2007), Soviet Olympic modern pentathlete
*Igor Novikov (chess player) (born 1962), Ukrainian then U.S. chess ...
and
Don Page, he developed the general relativistic theory of thin
accretion disks around black holes, and using this theory he deduced that with a doubling of its mass by such
accretion
Accretion may refer to:
Science
* Accretion (astrophysics), the formation of planets and other bodies by collection of material through gravity
* Accretion (meteorology), the process by which water vapor in clouds forms water droplets around nucl ...
a black hole will be spun up to 0.998 of the maximum
spin allowed by general relativity, but not any farther. This is probably the maximum black-hole spin allowed in nature.
Wormholes and time travel
Thorne and his co-workers at Caltech conducted scientific research on whether the laws of physics permit space and time to be
multiply connected (can there exist classical,
traversable wormholes and "time machines"?). With Sung-Won Kim, Thorne identified a universal physical mechanism (the explosive growth of
vacuum polarization of
quantum field
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles ...
s), that may always prevent spacetime from developing
closed timelike curve
In mathematical physics, a closed timelike curve (CTC) is a world line in a Lorentzian manifold, of a material particle in spacetime, that is "closed", returning to its starting point. This possibility was first discovered by Willem Jacob van ...
s (i.e., prevent
backward time travel).
With Mike Morris and Ulvi Yurtsever, he showed that traversable wormholes can exist in the structure of
spacetime
In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional manifold. Spacetime diagrams can be used to visualize relativistic effects, such as why differ ...
only if they are threaded by quantum fields in
quantum state
In quantum physics, a quantum state is a mathematical entity that provides a probability distribution for the outcomes of each possible measurement on a system. Knowledge of the quantum state together with the rules for the system's evolution i ...
s that violate the
averaged null energy condition (i.e. have negative renormalized energy spread over a sufficiently large region). This has triggered research to explore the ability of quantum fields to possess such extended
negative energy. Recent calculations by Thorne indicate that simple masses passing through traversable wormholes could never engender
paradoxes – there are ''no'' initial conditions that lead to paradox once time travel is introduced. If his results can be generalized, they would suggest that none of the supposed paradoxes formulated in time travel stories can actually be formulated at a precise physical level: that is, that ''any'' situation in a time travel story turns out to permit ''many'' consistent solutions.
Relativistic stars, multipole moments and other endeavors
With
Anna Żytkow, Thorne predicted the existence of
red supergiant stars with
neutron-star cores (
Thorne–Żytkow object
A Thorne–Żytkow object (TŻO or TZO), also known as a hybrid star, is a conjectured type of star wherein a red giant or red supergiant contains a neutron star at its core, formed from the collision of the giant with the neutron star. Such obje ...
s).
He laid the foundations for the theory of
pulsations of relativistic stars and the gravitational radiation they emit. With
James Hartle, Thorne derived from general relativity the laws of motion and precession of black holes and other relativistic bodies, including the influence of the coupling of their
multipole moments to the spacetime curvature of nearby objects, as well as writing down the
Hartle-Thorne metric, an approximate solution which describes the exterior of a slowly and rigidly rotating, stationary and axially symmetric body.
Thorne has also theoretically predicted the existence of universally antigravitating "
exotic matter" – the element needed to accelerate the expansion rate of the universe, keep traversable wormhole "Star Gates" open and keep
timelike geodesic free float "
warp drive
A warp drive or a drive enabling space warp is a fictional superluminal spacecraft propulsion system in many science fiction works, most notably ''Star Trek'', and a subject of ongoing physics research. The general concept of "warp drive" was ...
s" working. With Clifford Will and others of his students, he laid the foundations for the theoretical interpretation of experimental
tests of relativistic theories of gravity – foundations on which Will and others then built. , Thorne was interested in the origin of classical space and time from the
quantum foam of
quantum gravity theory.
Publications
Thorne has written and edited books on topics in gravitational theory and
high-energy astrophysics High energy astronomy is the study of astronomical objects that release electromagnetic radiation of highly energetic wavelengths. It includes X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, extreme UV astronomy, neutrino astronomy, and studies of cosmic ...
. In 1973, he co-authored the textbook ''
Gravitation
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stron ...
'' with
Charles Misner and John Wheeler; that according to
John C. Baez and Chris Hillman, is one of the great scientific books of all time and has inspired two generations of students. In 1994, he published ''
Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy'', a book for non-scientists for which he received numerous awards. This book has been published in six languages, and editions in Chinese, Italian, Czech, and Polish are in press. In 2014, Thorne published ''
The Science of Interstellar'' in which he explains the science behind Christopher Nolan's film ''Interstellar''; Nolan wrote the foreword to the book. In September 2017, Thorne and Roger D. Blandford published ''Modern Classical Physics: Optics, Fluids, Plasmas, Elasticity, Relativity, and Statistical Physics'', a graduate-level textbook covering the six major areas of physics listed in the title.
Thorne's articles have appeared in publications such as:
* ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...
'',
*
McGraw-Hill
McGraw Hill is an American educational publishing company and one of the "big three" educational publishers that publishes educational content, software, and services for pre-K through postgraduate education. The company also publishes refere ...
''
Yearbook of Science and Technology'', and
* ''
Collier's Encyclopedia
''Collier's Encyclopedia'' is a discontinued general encyclopedia first published in 1949 by P. F. Collier and Son in the United States. With ''Encyclopedia Americana'' and ''Encyclopædia Britannica, Collier's Encyclopedia'' became one of the th ...
'' among others.
Thorne has published more than 150 articles in scholarly journals.
Honors and awards
Thorne has been elected to:
* the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
(1972)
* the
National Academy of Sciences,
* the
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
, and
* the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
.
He has been recognized by numerous awards including:
* the
American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy,
* the
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
Science Writing Award,
* the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
's
Lilienfeld Prize
The Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society, to remember Julius Edgar Lilienfeld, has been awarded annually, since 1989. (It was not awarded in 2002). The purpose of the Prize is to recognize outstanding contributions to ph ...
,
* the
German Astronomical Society's
Karl Schwarzschild Medal (1996),
* the
Robinson Prize in Cosmology from the
University of Newcastle, England,
* the
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society's
Common Wealth Awards for Science and Invention, and
* the
California Science Center's
California Scientist of the Year Award (2003).
* the
Albert Einstein Medal
The Albert Einstein Medal is an award presented by the Albert Einstein Society in Bern. First given in 1979, the award is presented to people for "scientific findings, works, or publications related to Albert Einstein" each year.
Recipients
S ...
in 2009 from the
Albert Einstein Society, Bern, Switzerland
* the
UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal
The UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal was first minted in 1985 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Danish nuclear physicist Niels Bohr. It is awarded by UNESCO to recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to physics thro ...
from
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
(2010)
* the
Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2016)
* the
Gruber Prize in Cosmology (2016)
* the
Shaw Prize (2016) (together with
Ronald Drever
Ronald William Prest Drever (26 October 1931 – 7 March 2017) was a Scottish experimental physicist. He was a professor emeritus at the California Institute of Technology, co-founded the LIGO project, and was a co-inventor of the Pound–Drever� ...
and
Rainer Weiss).
* the
Kavli Prize
The Kavli Prize was established in 2005 as a joint venture of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and the Kavli Foundation. It honors, supports, and recognizes scientists for outstan ...
in Astrophysics (2016) (together with Ronald Drever and Rainer Weiss).
* the
Tomalla Prize (2016) for extraordinary contributions to general relativity and gravity.
* the
Georges Lemaître Prize (2016)
* the
Harvey Prize (2016) (together with Ronald Drever and Rainer Weiss).
*the Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award for Physical Sciences (2016)
* the
Princess of Asturias Award (2017) (jointly with
Rainer Weiss and
Barry Barish
Barry Clark Barish (born January 27, 1936) is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.
In 2017, Ba ...
).
* the
Nobel Prize in Physics
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
(2017) (jointly with
Rainer Weiss and
Barry Barish
Barry Clark Barish (born January 27, 1936) is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.
In 2017, Ba ...
)
* the
Lewis Thomas Prize (2018)
* the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement (2019)
He has been a
Woodrow Wilson Fellow,
Danforth Fellow,
Guggenheim Fellow
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
, and
Fulbright Fellow. He has also received the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters from
Claremont Graduate University and an honorary doctorate from the Physics Department of the
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He was elected to hold the Lorentz chair for the year 2009
Leiden University, the Netherlands.
Thorne has served on:
* the
International Committee on General Relativity and Gravitation,
* the
Committee on US-USSR Cooperation in Physics, and
* the National Academy of Sciences'
Space Science Board, which has advised
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...
and Congress on
space science policy.
Kip Thorne was selected by
''Time'' magazine in an annual
list of the 100 most influential people in the American world in 2016.
Adaptation in media
*Thorne contributed ideas on wormhole travel to
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...
for use in his novel ''
Contact
Contact may refer to:
Interaction Physical interaction
* Contact (geology), a common geological feature
* Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye
* Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects
* C ...
''.
*Thorne and his friend, producer
Lynda Obst, also developed the concept for the Christopher Nolan film ''Interstellar''. He also wrote a tie-in book, ''
The Science of Interstellar''. Thorne later advised Nolan on the physics of his movie ''
Tenet
A tenet is a synonym for axiom, one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based.
Tenet may also refer to:
Media
* Tenet (band), a heavy metal band
* TENET (ensemble), an American early music vocal and instrumental group
* ''Tenet'' ( ...
''.
*In
Larry Niven's novel ''
Rainbow Mars'', the time travel technology used in the novel is based on the wormhole theories of Thorne, which in the context of the novel was when time travel first became possible, rather than just fantasy. As a result, any attempts to travel in time prior to Thorne's development of wormhole theory results in the time traveller entering a fantastic version of reality, rather than the actual past.
*In the film ''
The Theory of Everything'', Thorne was portrayed by actor
Enzo Cilenti.
*Thorne played himself in the episode of ''
The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'' entitled "The Laureate Accumulation", episode 18 of season 12.
*Thorne is himself in the episode of ''
The Craftsman'' entitled "Science, Art & Inspiration", episode 3 of season 2. This is a documentary.
Partial bibliography
* Misner, Charles W., Thorne, K. S. and Wheeler, John Archibald, ''Gravitation'' 1973, (W H Freeman & Co)
*Thorne, K. S., in 300 Years of Gravitation, (Eds.) S. W. Hawking and W. Israel, 1987, (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press), ''Gravitational Radiation''.
*Thorne, K. S., Price, R. H. and Macdonald, DM, ''Black Holes, The Membrane Paradigm'', 1986, (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press).
*Friedman, J., Morris, MS, Novikov, I. D., Echeverria, F., Klinkhammer, G., Thorne, K. S. and Yurtsever, U., Physical Review D., 1990, (in press), ''
Cauchy Problem in
Spacetime
In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional manifold. Spacetime diagrams can be used to visualize relativistic effects, such as why differ ...
s with
Closed Timelike Curve
In mathematical physics, a closed timelike curve (CTC) is a world line in a Lorentzian manifold, of a material particle in spacetime, that is "closed", returning to its starting point. This possibility was first discovered by Willem Jacob van ...
s''.
*Thorne, K. S. and Blandford, R. D., ''Modern Classical Physics: Optics, Fluids, Plasmas, Elasticity, Relativity, and Statistical Physics'', 2017, (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
See also
*
Polchinski's paradox
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Home Page*
Crunch Time*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Kip Stephen
1940 births
American astronomers
American atheists
American Nobel laureates
21st-century American physicists
California Institute of Technology alumni
California Institute of Technology faculty
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Fellows of the American Physical Society
Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Former Latter Day Saints
Gravitational-wave astronomy
Living people
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Nobel laureates in Physics
Particle physicists
Princeton University alumni
American relativity theorists
Scientists from Logan, Utah
UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal recipients
University of Utah faculty
Cornell University faculty
Members of the American Philosophical Society
Kavli Prize laureates in Astrophysics
Albert Einstein Medal recipients