Hooper, Dan 1976–

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Hooper, Dan 1976–

PERSONAL:

Born 1976. Education: University of Wisconsin, Ph.D., 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Theoretical Astrophysics, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Wilson Hall 6 West, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, scientist, and astrophysicist. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, associate scientist in theoretical astrophysics. Worked as a post-doctoral researcher at Oxford University.

AWARDS, HONORS:

David Schramm Fellow, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

WRITINGS:

Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy, Smithsonian Books/Collins (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Dan Hooper is a scientist and theoretical astrophysicist whose work focuses on the "interface between particle physics and cosmology," as he noted in an autobiography on the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Web site. Much of his research concerns complex topics such as supersymmetry, neutrinos, extra dimensions, and cosmic rays. A major portion of his scientific work focuses on the mysterious and little-understood phenomenon of dark matter, the unseen substance that makes up the bulk of the mass of the universe. In Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy, Hooper offers a detailed exploration of cosmology that explores what is known about dark matter and dark energy, considers the far-reaching implications of the presence of such dark materials, and suggests methods of additional research that could, perhaps, locate and harness dark energy.

Hooper relates some mind-boggling facts about the world around us. He points out that only about five percent of the matter in the universe is directly observable. In other words, everything that humans can see, touch, and experience—from the most distant stars to the smallest microscopic particles and everything in between—amounts to only a fraction of the mass and material that actually exists. The remaining ninety-five percent of the mass of the universe consists of invisible dark matter and dark energy. Hooper uses theories of cosmology to carefully explain what is known about dark matter, pointing out that scientists have long known about its existence. He describes theories of dark matter, including what it is made of and how it operates. He notes that some known minigalaxies are composed entirely of dark matter. In some theories, dark matter is what appears to be making the universe expand. Hooper also brings to bear other ideas from cosmology that could account for dark matter and its possible hiding places, including the possibilities of multiple dimensions and additional universes that coexist with our own.

Hooper's book "helps us recall our sense of wonder at the universe," observed Sara Rutter, writing in Library Journal. A Publishers Weekly reviewer commented that Hooper's "clear presentation in very simple, jargon-free prose should appeal especially to young people" who are beginning to explore the wonders and mysteries of science.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, October 15, 2006, Sara Rutter, review of Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy, p. 85.

Nature, March 1, 2007, "Into the Darkness: Cosmologists Face Some Tough Challenges as They Explore the Composition of the Universe," review of Dark Cosmos, p. 25.

New Scientist, October 4, 2003, "Has Dark Matter Been Found at Last?," p. 8.

Physics Today, July, 2007, Daniel Holz, review of Dark Cosmos, p. 62.

Publishers Weekly, September 11, 2006, review of Dark Cosmos, p. 48.

Science News, December 2, 2006, review of Dark Cosmos, p. 367.

SciTech Book News, March, 2007, review of Dark Cosmos.