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David Weintraub (physicist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David A. Weintraub is an American astrophysicist and is the Professor of Astronomy at Vanderbilt University.[1]

Early life and education

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Weintraub was raised Jewish, and developed an early interest in religion and astronomy, especially the persecution of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Church.[2]

Career

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Weintraub authored Is Pluto a Planet? A Historical Journey through the Solar System in 2006.[3] He authored Exoplanets: The Pace of Discovery and the Potential Impact on Humanity. In 2015, Weintraub was awarded the Klopsteg Memorial Award by the American Association of Physics Teachers.[4]

He published Religion and Extraterrestrial life: How will we deal with it?, in 2014. The book explores various religious reactions to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and speculates on the potential theological ramifications discovering alien life.[5][6]

In 2018, he published Life On Mars: What to know before we go, which details the history of mankind's fascination with the possibility of life on Mars.[7]

In 2022, Weintraub edited the volume The Sky Is For Everyone, with Virginia Trimble.[8] The book was published by Princeton University Press, and details the biographies and accomplishments of women in the field of astronomy.[9][10][11]

References

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  1. ^ "Weintraub to discuss 'Exoplanets, Extraterrestrial Life and Religion'". Vanderbilt University. November 19, 2014. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  2. ^ Ercan, Ismail. "Navigating the Crossroads of Science and Religion with Astronomy Professor David Weintraub". Vanderbilt Political Review. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  3. ^ Weintraub, David A. (2014-06-12). Is Pluto a Planet?. Princeton University Press. doi:10.1515/9781400852970/html?lang=en. ISBN 978-1-4008-5297-0.
  4. ^ "Weintraub receives 2015 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award". Vanderbilt University. March 13, 2015. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. ^ Ambrosino, Brandon. "If we made contact with aliens, how would religions react?". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  6. ^ Wright, Chris (October 26, 2014). "How would earthly religions handle aliens?". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  7. ^ "The Space Review: Review: Life on Mars". thespacereview.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  8. ^ "The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words by". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  9. ^ "The Space Review: Review: The Sky Is for Everyone". www.thespacereview.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  10. ^ Shelton, Jim (2022-08-10). "'The Sky is for Everyone': Yale women astronomers share their stories". YaleNews. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  11. ^ "Virginia Trimble and David Weintraub on The Sky is for Everyone". press.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-15.