Lord Martin Rees of Ludlow

Martin Rees (Lord Rees of Ludlow) is a distinguished professor of cosmology and astrophysics and the 60th President of the Royal Society. A leading authority on the future of humanity, he is a world-renowned expert on existential risks, including solar flares, asteroid impacts, super volcanoes, biotechnology, and AI. Believing that the future of humanity is bound to the future of science, in recent years, Martin has increasingly focused on global issues such as population growth and the threats of emerging technologies like AI. Co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, Cambridge, he is a highly sought-after speaker with over 40 years of experience at the forefront of scientific innovation.

Educated at the University of Cambridge in 1960, he held several doctoral positions in the UK and USA before becoming a Professor at Sussex University. After becoming a fellow at King's College, he served as the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. For ten years, Martin worked as the Director of the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy and then held the role of Royal Society Research Professor before being appointed the 38th Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, home to pioneers such as Sir Isaac Newton. In 2005, he was appointed a Lord at the House of Lords.

Throughout his illustrious career, Martin's contributions have led to substantial advances in domains such as cosmic jets, black holes, galaxy formation and the speculative elements of cosmology, among others. He was also one of the first to predict the uneven distribution of matter in the Universe, and his cutting-edge research helped disprove the Steady State theory. Moreover, he has published over 500 journal articles and authored multiple books, including Our Final Hour, If Science is to Save Us, Just Six Numbers and On the Future: Prospects for Humanity.

In recognition of his vast scientific contributions, he received several prestigious accolades, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, and the Einstein Award of the World Cultural Council. An exceptional orator who is known for being serious without being solemn, he gave a captivating TED Talk titled Can We Prevent the End of the World? As a recent guest on the Futures Podcast, he explored the prospects for humanity, delving into topics such as AI, biotech, overpopulation, and cryogenics. Believing that the future of humanity hinges on how people harness technological advances, Martin is the perfect speaker to hire on AI risk.