Mario Livio

Dr Mario Livio is an internationally known astrophysicist, best-selling author, and a popular speaker. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr Livio has published more than 400 scientific articles, on topics ranging from cosmology, supernova explosions, and black holes, to extrasolar planets and the emergence of life in the universe.

He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his research, including having been selected as the “Carnegie Centenary Professor” by the universities of Scotland in 2003, and as the “Danz Distinguished Lecturer” by the University of Washington in 2006.

Dr Livio is also the author of five popular science books. His bestselling book “The Golden Ratio” won him the “Peano Prize” in 2003 and the “International Pythagoras Prize” in 2004, as the best popular book on mathematics. His book “Is God A Mathematician?” inspired the NOVA program “The Great Math Mystery” that was nominated for an EMMY in 2016. His most recent book, “Brilliant Blunders,” was selected by The Washington Post as one of the “Notable Books of 2013.” His upcoming book “WHY? An Exploration of Human Curiosity” is scheduled for release in the summer of 2017.

Dr Livio appears frequently in the media. He appeared on “The Daily Show,” on “60 Minutes” (twice), on two NOVA programs in 2015 alone, and on numerous radio programs (e.g. “Science Friday,” “All Things Considered,” “On Being,” “Studio 360,” and more). During the past two decades he has given many dozens of talks all across the globe, at venues ranging from the Smithsonian in Washington DC and the Hayden Planetarium in New York, to the Royal Astronomical Society in London, the Berlin Planetarium, TEDxMidAtlantic in Washington DC, and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He has been a regular speaker at the World Science Festival in New York, and was selected three times as one of the “Nifty Fifty” scientists by the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington DC. He is also the “Science Advisor” to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and has presented in a number of their concerts. He has collaborated with composers Paola Prestini and Russell Steinberg in the creation of two contemporary classical music pieces that are inspired by Hubble images.