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We Celebrate the Life of Dr. George Smoot

Dr. George Smoot passed away on September 24, 2025, in Paris. George was known worldwide for his groundbreaking contributions to cosmology, most notably through his leadership of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission. His work provided the first precise measurements of anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation, opening a new era in quantitative cosmology and earning him the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with John C. Mather.

In addition to his global achievements, George was the founder and most distinguished member of the Energetic Cosmos Laboratory (ECL), established in 2017 at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. His vision was to create a hub for world-class astrophysical research in Central Asia, advancing fundamental science while training the next generation of researchers. Under his leadership, the ECL pursued ambitious projects in theoretical astrophysics, data science, observational astronomy, and the development of cryogenic detectors. The laboratory’s continued success stands as a testament to his foresight and determination.

For both the Energetic Cosmos Laboratory and the Good Research Group, George’s passing represents the loss of a pioneering scientist whose influence extended far beyond his immediate collaborations. His presence at Nazarbayev University left a lasting mark on the research culture here, demonstrating how international cooperation and bold vision can elevate science in new regions of the world.

We celebrate George Smoot’s life through the enduring impact of his work, the institutions he helped shape, and the generations of scientists who continue to be inspired by his example. His legacy will remain firmly embedded in the fabric of modern cosmology and in the spirit of exploration he encouraged.

In 2025, our paper, ``Cosmic Acceleration from Nothing" (2503.02380) , has begun to spark interest beyond our group. In private correspondence, cosmologist Justin Khoury (University of Pennsylvania) described the work as “an original” and “out-of-the-box idea,” adding that “it would certainly be exciting if the acceleration scale were to emerge naturally from your model.” 

The paper has also received a highly positive referee report from The European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields, which described it as “a novel and elegant application of the Schwarzian derivative to cosmology,” “deriving a cosmological sum rule with clear implications for cosmic acceleration,” “well-structured” with results that are “both original and quite relevant to the ongoing discussions of the community of the universe’s origin and expansion,” and “a valuable and thought-provoking contribution that merits publication.”

In 2025, our group’s work on Particle Creation from Entanglement Entropy (2508.17067) was recently covered in a popular science outlet for general audiences. While the site is known for presenting speculative content, the article nonetheless draws attention to our research.

In 2025, Physics Hub published an interview with Michael Good, conducted by Arsen Almaskhan, a 9th-grade student at the first Bilim-Innovation Lyceum for Boys, located in Shymkent, a member of the Republic of Kazakhstan's National Physics Team, and a gold medalist in the Physics Olympiad. 

In 2025, we received notice that an article written by William Brown (MSc, NYU) at the International Space Federation discusses our group's discovery (2211.14774) of thermal radiation from accelerating electrons. While the publication frequently features speculative science, this article aims to introduce our work to a broader readership. 

In 2025, Michael Good, Evgenii Ievlev, and Morgan Lynch wrote about classical acceleration thermality (CAT).  It has been experimentally confirmed by observing that beta decay emits thermal photons.  The CAT is out of the bag!

Essay_2025.pdf

Videos

Interviews

Bulletins

Bulletin_APPN_Cosmic_Celebration.pdf

Bulletin_APPN_Atiya.pdf

Bulletin_APPN_QM_90_Years.pdf

Bulletin_APPN_Dyson_90_Years.pdf

Bulletin_APPN_Physics_in_Kazakhstan.pdf

Presentations, Seminars, Covers, Colloquia

Prizes, Top-Ranks, Awards, Fellows, Media Articles, etc.

Money

The Good Collection - Michael Good

Physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, other scientists & engineers, etc., on paper money.

Banknotes rarely feature physicists. Nevertheless, it's good to know that some exist (about 50 out of ~50,000 designs, or about 0.1%). Excluding stamps, coins, fantasy notes, test notes, specimens, etc., and focusing only on standard circulating paper money makes it possible to collect all of them.  Since much of the public has experience with ordinary paper money, it is possible to convey and learn aspects of the scientific history surrounding the critical contributions of these people in a unique type of public outreach.  

As far as I know, the physicist's lists of --- Nobels, Elements, and Units --- are definitive. The other lists are only loosely defined, entirely subjective, and not meant to be declaratively definitive. While the primary focus is on physicists featured on paper money, the collection also includes selected unusual historical notes, many types of scientists, Einstein coins, and other items of miscellaneous numismatic, scientific, and personal interest. 

Thanks to sources by Edward Redish, Jacob Bourjaily, and Hung M. Bui, among others. Thanks to my sister, Madelyn Good, for helping get this collection off the ground.  

Please email me at mgood.physics@gmail.com with comments or knowledge of a scientist that should be included. 

Scientist Vignettes

Marie_Maria_Mary.pdf

Civic Service & Heritage

Sponsors, Collaborating Laboratories, Centers, and Institutes

Julian Schwinger Foundation 

Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics

Institute of Advanced Studies-Nanyang Technological University

Bitcoin

"It isn't obvious the Universe had to work this way. But somehow, the Universe smiles on encryption." - Julian Assange