British astrophysicist wins Templeton Prize
A British theoretical astrophysicist who has achieved renown for his
study of the cosmos and for sounding warnings about the future of
humanity has won the $1.6 million 2011 Templeton Prize.
Martin J.
Rees of Cambridge University, a former president of Britain's
prestigious Royal Society, was announced in London April 6 as the
winner by the John Templeton Foundation. The annual prize honors an
individual who has made "exceptional contributions to affirming life's
spiritual dimension." Rees is a somewhat unorthodox choice because he
holds no formal religious beliefs.
Rees, 68, has long studied
questions surrounding black holes, the big-bang theory and what some
call the "dark age" of the early universe. Rees has also speculated on
the idea of infinite universes, sometimes called "multiverses," and has
pondered how large physical reality actually is.
