Quebec astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, who liked to compare people to stardust, died on Friday at the age of 91. He was considered one of the greatest science popularizers of our time.
His son Benoit Reeves announced this in a message posted on Facebook.
He had been “officially” retired since 1999, but continued his activist activities.
In the last years of his life he devoted much time to taking stock of the state of the environment and humanity, which he believed should disappear when the sixth great extinction occurs.
Even in 100 years I won’t have the time to explore the entire immensity of such a vast universe.
Hubert Reeves was born in Montreal in 1932 and studied at the University of Montreal and McGill before receiving his doctorate in nuclear astrophysics from Cornell University in 1960. He taught cosmology in Europe and America at Columbia Universities and Berkeley, at the University of Montreal and at the University of Montreal at the Free University of Brussels.
As a consultant to NASA, he was also research director at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France and scientific advisor to the French Atomic Energy Commission.
With rare modesty, Hubert Reeves conveys his knowledge with humor.
His flagship books such as Patience in the Azure (1981), Dust of Stars (1984) and Latest News from the Cosmos (1994) highlight his talent as a communicator by popularizing often very abstract concepts.
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Hubert Reeves, October 12, 1982, during the recording of the Rencontre program on Radio-Canada television
Photo: Radio-Canada
He is involved in the production of numerous documentaries, including Conteur d’étoiles (2002) and Du big bang au vivant (2010). His quick wit and feel for formulas make him a popular guest on television and radio shows. He also writes a column in a Quebec daily newspaper.
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Hubert Reeves takes part in an anti-nuclear demonstration in Paris in 1995.
Photo: AFP/Getty/Gérard Fouet
Many distinctions
An Officer of the National Order of Quebec, he was also a Companion of the Order of Canada and Commander of the Legion of Honor of France. Also in France, he was appointed Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit in 2019.
He received numerous honorary doctorates, including those from the Universities of Montreal (1984), Bern (1989), Brussels (1992), Ottawa (2004), Moncton (1991) and Quebec in Montreal (2010). and Sherbrooke (2011) .
He is honorary president of Humanity and Biodiversity, a French association whose credo is: put biodiversity at the heart of our societies.
Did you know?
Since 1999, the asteroid (9631) 1993 SL6 has been named after Hubert Reeves.
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Astrophysicist Hubert Reeves
The classical music lover also wrote Terre planet bleue in 2007, a text that Diane Dufresne set to music in the album Effusions.
In 2008, he published his autobiography titled I Won’t Have Time. He explains that his interest in science comes from curiosity and that he studied it from a young age.
Hubert Reeves said his talent for popularization came from his grandmother Charlotte, who had a gift for storytelling. To the delight of her grandchildren, she added unexpected sequels to the stories by changing rhythm and intonation.
Hubert Reeves leaves behind his partner Camille, four children and numerous grandchildren, who were very close to him. One of his 2011 works was dedicated to them: “The Universe Explained to My Grandchildren.”
He lived for several years between Paris and his estate in Malicorne, France.