George Smoot (1945-2025) Astrophysicist & Cosmologist
George F. Smoot III received the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics, with John C. Mather, for "the discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation".
He gained his BSc and PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his doctorate, he moved to Berkeley, where he made his Nobel Prize-winning discoveries.
His primary research was in two areas: observational cosmology and particle physics utilizing the cosmic background radiation as a probe of the early universe; and cosmic radiation measurement utilizing balloon-borne superconducting magnetic spectrometers.
George was fascinated by a broad range of subjects besides physics, as he wanted to understand things at a deep, fundamental level. He was taking basic physics understandings and applying them to make peoples’ lives better through innovations and products, particularly in the fields of air quality and medicine.
He wanted to inspire and encourage smart young people and set them off on the path to discovery.
Photos with Friends and Colleagues
Obituaries
George Smoot, a physicist at UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab, shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics for detecting minute temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background, a prediction of the Big Bang theory.
The APC Laboratory mourns the loss of George Smoot, who passed away unexpectedly at his home in Paris. We will remember him as a larger than life character, with a broad range of interests beyond the discoveries for which he is best known.
It was an honour for the DIPC community to have had the opportunity to work with professor Smoot. We will miss him deeply, and his legacy will continue inspiring us and future generations of scientists.
In addition to his groundbreaking research, George was committed to engaging with the public and helping the next generation of scientists. He also launched the long-running Physics In and Through Cosmology Workshop, an annual outreach event for Bay Area high school physics teachers and students, now in its nineteenth year.
Throughout his time at HKUST, Prof. Smoot inspired many with captivating talks on a variety of topics, igniting their passions for science and encouraging them to explore the universe's mysteries. His wisdom, humour and unwavering dedication will be remembered with great admiration and gratitude.
George was an intelligent and generous person with a very jovial and attractive personality, who, after receiving the Nobel Prize, decided to make cosmology popular worldwide. He was also very
popular in México and he often visited for scientific engagements, lectures,
presentations.
Under his leadership, ECL grew into one of Central Asia’s leading centers for astrophysics, developing advanced capabilities in theoretical and observational astronomy, data science, and cryogenic detector technologies.
Professor Smoot played a central role in the establishment and development of the ECL at NU since its inception in 2017. Beyond scientific leadership, he was deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of scientists. He actively encouraged student participation in research, helping build an environment where young scholars in Kazakhstan could engage in frontier science.
According to theory, cosmic microwave background radiation is the relic radiation from the Big Bang. Mapping such ripples in the light by satellite observations allowed Smoot to draw the map of the ‘baby universe’ a snapshot of how our universe looked on its three hundred and seventy thousandth birthday.
He led a team of scientists who helped confirm that a Big Bang was the source of the universe. The discovery earned him a Nobel Prize.
L’astrophysicien américain avait reçu la plus haute récompense de sa discipline en 2006 est décédé à Paris.