Nobel Prize awarded for discoveries in cosmology

By Tom Garlinghouse

Professor James Peebles
Professor emeritus James Peebles. Photo by Denise Applewhite

Princeton University professor emeritus James Peebles was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe. Peebles, the Albert Einstein Professor of Science, Emeritus, is perhaps best known for the theory of cold dark matter, which he initially proposed in 1982, and his pioneering efforts in identifying cosmic background radiation as the remnant of the Big Bang. “His theoretical framework, developed over two decades, is the foundation of our modern understanding of the universe’s history, from the Big Bang to the present day,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences stated in announcing the prize.