Dennis Overbye (born June 2, 1944, inSeattle,Washington) is a science writer specializing inphysics andcosmology and was the cosmic affairs correspondent forThe New York Times.[1]
Overbye received his B.S. in physics fromM.I.T.—where he was a member of the Alpha Mu chapter ofPhi Kappa Sigma—in 1966. He started work towards a master's degree in astronomy fromU.C.L.A. in 1970.[citation needed]
Overbye started his career by working as a scientist forBoeing and then other companies. In 1976 he became assistant editor atSky and Telescope magazine. From 1976 to 1980 he was a senior editor atDiscover magazine. Subsequently, he embarked on a freelance career, during which time he published articles inTime,Science, theLos Angeles Times, andThe New York Times, among other publications.[citation needed]
He has written two books:Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, about scientists and their quest to understand the universe, andEinstein in Love, dealing withAlbert Einstein's youth and the controversy surrounding the degree to which Einstein's first wife,Mileva Marić, contributed to the theory of relativity.[2] He joined the staff ofThe New York Times in 1998 as deputy science editor, then switched to full-time writing.[citation needed] In 2014 he was a finalist for thePulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.[3] Overbye retired from his position as cosmic affairs correspondent for theNew York Times in December, 2024.[4]
