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Thinkers50 Hall of Fame | Bestselling Author, Riding the Waves of Culture | Cultural Diversity & Cross-Cultural Management Pioneer
Adam Riess
2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics | Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins | Discoverer of Dark Energy | Leader, SH0ES Team
Adam Riess discovered that the universe is not just expanding — it's accelerating, a finding that earned him the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and introduced the world to dark energy. Now leading the SH0ES Team with Hubble and Webb, he is at the center of the field's most consequential open question. On stage, he makes the universe's deepest mysteries feel urgent, accessible, and alive.
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Adam Riess biography
Adam Riess is one of the most influential astrophysicists alive — a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose work has not only redefined our understanding of the universe but continues to push at the boundaries of what modern physics can explain. Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Thomas J. Barber Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, and Distinguished Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Riess has spent his career using the cosmos as a laboratory to answer the deepest questions about the nature of space, time, and the forces that govern them.
Riess earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT in 1992 and his PhD from Harvard University in 1996. As a key member of the High-Z Supernova Search Team, he led the analysis that produced one of the most astonishing findings in the history of science: the 1998 discovery that the expansion of the universe is not decelerating, as physicists had long assumed, but accelerating. By using Type Ia supernovae — stellar explosions of predictable luminosity — as cosmic measuring sticks, his team traced the history of the universe’s growth across billions of light-years and found it speeding up. The culprit: an invisible, pervasive force now called dark energy, estimated to account for roughly 70% of the universe’s total energy budget. Science magazine named the discovery its Breakthrough of the Year in 1998.
Nobel Laureate and the Hubble Tension
Nobel Prize speaker Adam Riess was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Saul Perlmutter and Brian Schmidt, for this discovery. His recognition spans the MacArthur Fellowship (“genius grant”) in 2008, the Shaw Prize in Astronomy, the Gruber Foundation Cosmology Prize, the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, and the Albert Einstein Medal. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Astronomical Society, and among the top 1% most-cited researchers in his field globally.
Today, Riess leads the SH0ES Team (Supernova H0 for the Equation of State of Dark Energy), the most precise ongoing effort to measure the Hubble Constant — the rate at which the universe is currently expanding. Using both the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, his team has confirmed the existence of a deep discrepancy — the “Hubble tension” — between the expansion rate measured in the present-day universe and the rate predicted from observations of the early universe. His landmark 2024 studies using Webb data ruled out measurement error as the cause at greater than 8-sigma confidence, suggesting that the standard model of cosmology may be fundamentally incomplete. The implication is extraordinary: our best current theory of the universe may be missing something profound.
As a speaker, Adam Riess brings audiences to the edge of human knowledge — and makes them feel at home there. His keynotes translate the universe’s deepest puzzles into vivid, accessible narratives about discovery, uncertainty, and the courage to follow data wherever it leads. Whether addressing a scientific conference or a senior business audience, he conveys a rare combination of intellectual rigor and genuine wonder. Attendees leave not just with a new understanding of cosmology, but with a sharpened appreciation for evidence-based thinking, the nature of paradigm shifts, and what it means to operate at the frontier of the unknown.
Adam Riess Speaking Videos
2011 Nobel Prize lecture by Adam G. Riess in physics
The Surprising Expansion History of the Universe – Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Adam Riess
Adam Riess Keynote Topics
In 1998, Riess and his team found something the entire physics community thought impossible: the universe was speeding up. This keynote tells the story of that discovery — from the first suspicious data points to the Nobel Prize — and draws out its lessons for any audience: what it takes to follow evidence that contradicts consensus, how to distinguish a real result from a measurement error, and why the most important breakthroughs often begin with something that looks like a mistake.
`The standard model of cosmology is the most successful framework in the history of science — and it may be incomplete. Riess leads audiences through the Hubble tension: the growing, statistically ironclad discrepancy between two independent measurements of how fast the universe is expanding. Using data from both the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, his SH0ES Team has now ruled out measurement error as the cause. What remains is the real possibility that physics as we know it is missing something fundamental. This talk is a masterclass in what it looks like when data forces a field to confront its own limits.
How do you measure the distance to a galaxy billions of light-years away? Riess walks audiences through the cosmic distance ladder — the chain of interlocking measurement techniques that allows astronomers to map the universe — and explains how his team has spent two decades refining each rung with Cepheid variable stars, Type Ia supernovae, and the most powerful telescopes ever built. A talk about precision, patience, and the beauty of building knowledge step by careful step.
Science progresses not by confirming what we already believe, but by systematically testing it to destruction. Riess draws on two decades of frontier cosmology — including findings that defied expectation and data that pointed toward a possible revolution in physics — to explore how great discoveries happen: the role of intellectual humility, the discipline of distinguishing signal from noise, and the institutional conditions that allow radical ideas to survive long enough to be proven right. A compelling framework for leaders in any field who must make high-stakes decisions under genuine uncertainty.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Adam Riess
Why Adam Riess?
Booking Adam Riess for your event means bringing one of the most intellectually compelling figures in modern science to your stage. As a 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics, MacArthur Fellow, and the scientist currently leading the most precise measurements of the universe's expansion, Riess commands a rare combination of discovery-level authority and exceptional communication skill. He doesn't just describe a universe-altering finding — he walks audiences through what it felt like to encounter data that defied all expectations, and what it takes to trust the evidence even when the implications seem impossible. His talks resonate with leaders in science, finance, technology, and policy who understand that the greatest breakthroughs come from the willingness to question what everyone else assumes is settled. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to book Adam Riess for your next conference or leadership event.
What is the Hubble tension, and why does it matter?
The Hubble tension is one of the most significant unsolved problems in modern cosmology. It refers to a persistent discrepancy between two independent measurements of the Hubble constant — the rate at which the universe is currently expanding. When scientists measure the expansion rate directly from nearby galaxies and supernovae (the "local" method pioneered by Riess and his SH0ES Team), they get a consistently higher value than when they extrapolate the expansion rate from the afterglow of the Big Bang using the standard model of cosmology. The gap is roughly 8–9%, far too large to be explained by measurement error — a conclusion Riess's team confirmed at over 8-sigma confidence using James Webb Space Telescope data in 2024. The implication is that the standard cosmological model — our best current theory of how the universe works — may be fundamentally incomplete. For cosmologists, it is both a challenge and one of the most exciting open frontiers in physics.
What did Adam Riess discover to win the Nobel Prize?
As a leader of the High-Z Supernova Search Team, Riess led the analysis that in 1998 produced the first evidence that the universe's expansion is accelerating. By measuring the brightness of distant Type Ia supernovae — stellar explosions with consistent luminosity that function as cosmic measuring sticks — his team found that these ancient objects were dimmer than expected, meaning they were farther away than current models predicted. This meant the universe had been expanding faster over time, not slower, pointing to the existence of a previously unknown repulsive force: dark energy. The finding overturned decades of assumptions in cosmology and earned Riess, Brian Schmidt, and Saul Perlmutter the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
What topics does Nobel Prize speaker Adam Riess cover?
Adam Riess speaks on the accelerating universe and the discovery of dark energy, the Hubble tension and the possible incompleteness of the standard cosmological model, the science of measurement and uncertainty, and the use of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes as instruments for fundamental discovery. Beyond pure science, his talks explore themes of evidence-based reasoning, navigating paradigm shifts, and the intellectual courage required to challenge consensus when data demands it. His keynotes are particularly well suited to audiences in science, technology, finance, and any sector that values rigorous thinking and bold, evidence-driven decision-making. Reach out to Aurum Speakers Bureau to explore how Adam Riess can elevate your next event.
How to book Adam Riess as a keynote speaker?
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How much is Adam Riess speaking fee?
Adam Riess speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Adam Riess to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Adam Riess.
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Can I book Adam Riess for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Adam Riess is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Adam Riess for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
