Photo: Holger Motzkau / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Adam Riess belongs, for me, to a rare tier: scientists who changed how we picture reality itself. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1969 and trained at Harvard, he used distant supernovae as cosmic yardsticks and helped discover that the universe's expansion is accelerating, work that earned the 2011 Nobel Prize, plus the MacArthur, the Einstein Medal and a Breakthrough Prize. Now a professor at Johns Hopkins, he pushed dark energy to the centre of modern physics. I find it humbling that a measurement could overturn our deepest assumptions, and his career is a reminder of how far careful observation can reach.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Adam Riess
- Name (Japanese)
- アダム・リース
- Reading
- あだむ・りーす
- Born
- December 16, 1969 (age 56)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- astronomer / professor / physicist / astrophysicist / researcher
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Watchung Hills Regional High School
- University
- Harvard University
Awards & achievements
- 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics
- 2008 MacArthur Fellows Program
- 2011 Albert Einstein Medal
- 2002 Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy
- 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
- 2006 The Shaw Prize in Astronomy
- 1999 Robert J. Trumpler Award
- 2004 Sackler Prize for Physics
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Adam Riess born?
Born December 16, 1969 (age 56).
Where is Adam Riess from?
Adam Riess is from Washington, D.C., United States.
What does Adam Riess do?
Adam Riess works as astronomer, professor, physicist, astrophysicist, researcher.
Astronomer — see all → · Professor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.