New Issue: Orbital Catastrophe Ahead? Read Now

Exploring Our Universe and Others

This Century cosmologists will unravel the mystery of our universe's Birth-and perhaps prove the existence of other universes as well

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

00

Martin Rees is the 15th Astronomer Royal, and was master of Trinity College from 2004 to 2012 and president of the Royal Society between 2005 and 2010. He is also the author of 10 popular science books including On the Future.

More by Martin Rees
SA Special Editions Vol 12 Issue 2sThis article was published with the title “Exploring Our Universe and Others” in SA Special Editions Vol. 12 No. 2s (), p. 82
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1002-82sp

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe