IAS Director Robbert Dijkgraaf with Yuri Milner and Institute Faculty at a reception for Stephen Hawking at Columbia University following the announcement of an initial $100 million commitment to a new initiative, Breakthrough Starshot, from Milner, Hawking, and Mark Zuckerberg

Breakthrough Starshot: IAS Advisers to Help Send Robots to a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

In an attempt to leapfrog the planets and vault into the interstellar age, a bevy of scientists and other luminaries from Silicon Valley and beyond, led by Yuri Milner, the Russian philanthropist and Internet entrepreneur, announced a plan on Tuesday to send a fleet of robots no bigger than iPhones to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, 4.37 light-years away.

IAS advisers on the project include former School of Natural Science Members including Bruce Draine (1979–82, 1989, 2004–05), Avi Loeb (1988–93, 2002–03), Saul Perlmutter (2011), and Ed Turner, who has been a Member on several occasions. Additionally, Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences and IAS Trustee Martin Rees are advisers as well.

Date

April 12, 2016

Source

The New York Times

Press Contact

Alexandra Altman

aaltman@ias.edu

(609) 951–4406