Paul Davies | |
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 Davies in 2016 | |
| Born | Paul Charles William Davies (1946-04-22)22 April 1946 (age 79) London, United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University College London |
| Known for | Fulling–Davies–Unruh effect Bunch–Davies vacuum state Davies-Fulling "moving mirror" model[3] |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Contributions to Theoretical Physics: (i) Radiation Damping in the Optical Continuum; (ii) A Quantum Theory of Wheeler–Feynman Electrodynamics[1] (1970) |
| Doctoral advisors | |
| Other academic advisors | Fred Hoyle (postdoctoral advisor) |
| Notable students | Sara Imari Walker |
| Website | cosmos |
Paul Charles William DaviesAM (born 22 April 1946) is anEnglish physicist, writer andbroadcaster, a professor inArizona State University and director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He is affiliated with the Institute for Quantum Studies inChapman University in California. He previously held academic appointments in theUniversity of Cambridge,University College London,University of Newcastle upon Tyne,University of Adelaide andMacquarie University. His research interests are in the fields ofcosmology,quantum field theory, andastrobiology.
In 2005, he took up the chair of theSETI: Post-Detection Science and Technology Taskgroup of theInternational Academy of Astronautics. Davies serves on the Advisory Council ofMETI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
Born on 22 April 1946, Davies was brought up inFinchley,London. He attendedWoodhouse Grammar School and studied physics atUniversity College London, gaining aBachelor of Science degree withfirst-class honours in 1967.
In 1970, he completed hisPhD under the supervision ofMichael J. Seaton andSigurd Zienau at University College London.[2][1] He carried outpostdoctoral research underFred Hoyle in theUniversity of Cambridge.
Davies' research interests aretheoretical physics,cosmology andastrobiology; his research has been mainly in the area ofquantum field theory in curved spacetime. His notable contributions are the so-calledFulling–Davies–Unruh effect,[4] according to which an observer accelerating through empty space will be subject to a bath of inducedthermal radiation, and theBunch–Davies vacuum state, often used as the basis for explaining the fluctuations in thecosmic microwave background left over from theBig Bang. A paper co-authored withStephen Fulling andWilliam Unruh was the first to suggest thatblack holes evaporating via theHawking effect lose mass as a result of a flux of negative energy streaming into the hole from the surrounding space. Davies has had a longstanding association with the problem oftime's arrow, and has also identified the mystery of 'dark energy' as one of the most important issues facing fundamental science.[5] Davies was also an early proponent of the theory that life on Earth may have comefrom Mars cocooned in rocks ejected by asteroid and comet impacts. He is also a propagator of scientific research and technology development in order toprevent futurecomet impacts threatening the development or existence of humankind.[6] He proposed that aone-way trip to Mars could be a viable option in the future. During his time in Australia he helped establish the Australian Centre for Astrobiology.
Davies was a co-author withFelisa Wolfe-Simon on the 2011Science article "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus".[7] Reports refuting the most significant aspects of the original results were published in the same journal in 2012.[8] Following the publication of the articles challenging the conclusions of the originalScience article first describingGFAJ-1, the websiteRetraction Watch argued that the original article should be retracted because of misrepresentation of critical data.[9][10]
Davies is an outreach investigator atArizona State University's Center for Convergence of Physical Science and Cancer Biology. This is part of a program set up by theNational Institutes of Health'sNational Cancer Institute to involve physicists incancer research which has set up a network of 12Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers.[11]
Davies received theTempleton Prize in 1995.[12] Davies' talent as a communicator of science has been recognized inAustralia by anAdvance Australia Award and twoEureka Prizes, and in the UK by the 2001Kelvin Medal and Prize by theInstitute of Physics, and the 2002Faraday Prize by TheRoyal Society. Davies was made a member of theOrder of Australia in the 2007 Queen's birthday honours list. The minor planet6870 Pauldavies is named after him.[13]
Davies writes and comments on scientific and philosophical issues. He made a documentary series forBBC Radio 3, and two Australian television series,The Big Questions andMore Big Questions. His BBC documentaryThe Cradle of Life featured the subject of hisFaraday Prize lecture. He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has been guest on numerous radio and television programmes including the children's podcast programmeAsk A Biologist.
A 2007 opinion piece "Taking Science on Faith" inThe New York Times,[14] generated controversy over its exploration of the role offaith in scientific inquiry. Davies argued that the faith scientists have in the immutability ofphysical laws has origins inChristian theology, and that the claim that science is "free of faith" is "manifestly bogus".[14]Edge.org presented a criticism of Davies' article written byJerry Coyne,Nathan Myhrvold,Lawrence Krauss,Scott Atran,Sean Carroll,Jeremy Bernstein,PZ Myers,Lee Smolin,John Horgan,Alan Sokal and a response by Davies beginning "I was dismayed at how many of my detractors completely misunderstood what I had written. Indeed, their responses bore the hallmarks of a superficial knee-jerk reaction to the sight of the words 'science' and 'faith' juxtaposed."[15] While atheistsRichard Dawkins[16] andVictor J. Stenger[17] have criticised Davies' public stance onscience and religion, other commentators, including theJohn Templeton Foundation,[18] have praised his work.[19][20]
Davies wrote an article inThe Wall Street Journal describing the background to the December 2010arsenic bacteria press conference and stating that he supported the finding ofFelisa Wolfe-Simon that arsenic can replace phosphorus because "I had the advantage of being unencumbered by knowledge. I dropped chemistry at the age of 16, and all I knew about arsenic came fromAgatha Christie novels."[21] He also made the statement, "Well, I would be astonished if this was the only arsenic-based organism on Earth and Felisa just happened to scrape it up from the bottom of Mono Lake on the first try, It's quite clear that it is the tip of an iceberg. I think it's a window into a whole new world of microbiology. And as a matter of fact, she already has 20 or so candidate other organisms that we're very anxious to take a look at. I think we're going to see a whole new domain of life here."[22] It was later independently demonstrated that the organism's DNA contained no arsenic at all.[23][24][25][26] Concerns have been raised about his responsibility as one of Wolfe-Simon's co-authors.[27]
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