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Michael J. I. Brown

Associate professor, Monash University
I am an observational astronomer, studying how galaxies evolve over billions of years.

I was born and raised in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs. My interest in astronomy began as a child, when the Voyager spacecraft visited the outer planets. I undertook my undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Melbourne during the 1990s. For my PhD, I used (now antiquated) photographic plates to identify thousands of galaxies and measure their distribution in space.

In 2000 I joined the staff of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and started working on surveys of the distant Universe with large ground-based telescopes and satellites. In 2004 I was awarded Princeton University’s Henry Norris Russell Fellowship, and studied the growth of the most massive galaxies. Using thousands of galaxies in the constellation of Bootes, I found that the most massive galaxies have grown slowly over the past seven billion years, which is almost certainly due to mergers of galaxies.

Since 2007 I have been at Monash University’s School of Physics and Astronomy. I am measuring spectra of galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum, which is useful for measuring the distances to galaxies, the luminosities of galaxies and how rapidly galaxies form stars. I am also using large astronomical surveys to measure how rapidly galaxies are growing, and how this growth compares to the growth of dark matter halos.

When you look up, how far back in time do you see?

Dec 27, 2018 23:58 pm UTC| Science

Our senses are stuck in the past. Theres a flash of lightning, and then seconds pass until we hear the rumble of distant thunder. We hear the past. We are seeing into the past too. While sound travels about a...

Looking at the universe through very different 'eyes'

Jan 22, 2018 11:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

We are bathed in starlight. During the day we see the Sun, light reflected off the surface of the Earth and blue sunlight scattered by the air. At night we see the stars, as well as sunlight reflected off the Moon and the...

Space Science Series

We can learn a lot from the changing night sky

Jan 07, 2017 01:10 am UTC| Science

You cannot feel or hear the world turning. It does not rumble through space. But you can see it turn with your own eyes every day and night. And, with patience, you can see Earth travel around the Sun. As the globe...

How to quickly spot dodgy science

Jan 04, 2017 05:00 am UTC| Science

I havent got time for science, or at least not all of it. I cannot read 19,000 astrophysics papers every year. No way. And I have little patience for bad science, which gets more media attention than it deserves. Even...

Trump has embraced pseudoscience and its deceptive tactics in a post-truth world

Dec 12, 2016 09:30 am UTC| Science Politics

As a scientist, I expect the Trump presidency to have a curious familiarity. Why? Because the relentless stream of falsehoods and character attacks of Trumps campaign mainstreamed disinformation tactics that biologists,...

Space Science Series

Less secrecy could help astronomy stop the bullying and harassment within its ranks

Nov 23, 2016 03:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Shocking allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual assault at CSIROs Astronomy and Space Sciences (CASS) division were revealed on Sunday by the ABCs Background Briefing program. In CASS alone, the Radio National...

UFOs, climate change and missing airliners: how to separate fact from fiction

Jun 20, 2016 06:47 am UTC| Insights & Views

If youve been on social media then perhaps youve seen the Ancient Aliens meme; a wild-haired alien aficionado Giorgio A. Tsoukalos attributing all manner of things to aliens. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is a well known...

Economy

Cuba-U.S. Talks Begin Amid Deepening Energy Crisis

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed Friday that Cuba and the United States have entered into official negotiations, marking a significant diplomatic development as the island nation struggles under a crippling oil...

Iran War Sends Oil Prices Surging Past $100 as Hormuz Crisis Deepens

Global oil markets continued their dramatic climb on Friday, with Brent crude settling at $103.69 per barrel a 3.2% daily gain while West Texas Intermediate rose 3.7% to close at $99.31. The surge marks a staggering 43%...

U.S. Stocks Slide as Iran War Fuels Oil Price Volatility and Market Uncertainty

U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday, wrapping up a turbulent week as surging crude oil prices rattled equity markets. All three major indexes the Dow Jones, SP 500, and Nasdaq posted both daily and weekly losses, while...

Asian Currencies Tumble as Indian Rupee Hits Record Low Amid Oil Market Turmoil

Asian currencies came under broad pressure Friday, with the Indian rupee sliding to a historic low as global markets grappled with escalating energy disruptions tied to the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. The selloff...

Dollar Surges to Three-Month High Amid Iran War Crisis and Energy Shock

The U.S. dollar climbed to its strongest level in over three months on Friday, marking its second consecutive weekly gain since the outbreak of war with Iran. As global markets buckled under geopolitical pressure, the...

Politics

Trump's Iran War Strategy Caught Between Hawks, Economists, and His Political Base

A fierce internal battle within the Trump White House is shaping how the United States navigates its ongoing military campaign against Iran and how the president ultimately defines what victory looks like. Nearly two...

U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward Targeting Senior Iranian Officials Including New Supreme Leader

The United States government has announced a reward of up to $10 million for actionable information on ten senior Iranian military and intelligence figures, including Irans newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba...

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Move to End Temporary Protected Status for Somali Immigrants

A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administrations attempt to terminate legal protections for nearly 1,100 Somali nationals currently living and working in the United States. The ruling, issued Friday by U.S....

Ukraine Peace Talks Delayed as U.S. Cites Middle East Tensions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed on Friday that the United States had requested a postponement of the latest trilateral negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, now...

Israel-Iran War Escalates: Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon Death Tolls Rise

Nearly two weeks into the expanded Israeli military offensive, violence continues to surge across multiple fronts Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran with casualties mounting and millions displaced from their homes....

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Anduril's $20B Army Contract Signals Major Tailwind for Palantir

Anduril Industries has secured a landmark $20 billion firm-fixed-price contract with the U.S. Army, marking one of the most significant defense-tech awards in recent memory. The 10-year agreement, running through March...

Microsoft Azure First to Validate NVIDIA's Vera Rubin NVL72, Signaling a New Era in AI Infrastructure

Microsoft has become the first cloud provider to begin validating NVIDIAs Vera Rubin NVL72 system, a landmark move that could reshape the competitive landscape of AI infrastructure. CEO Satya Nadella announced the...

Meta Faces Major Layoffs Amid $600B AI Infrastructure Push

Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META) is reportedly planning its most significant workforce reduction since the 2023 Year of Efficiency, with cuts potentially exceeding 20% of its total headcount. Citing a Reuters report, the...

U.S. Pulls Back Proposed AI Chip Export Rule Amid Policy Uncertainty

The Trump administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have reshaped how artificial intelligence chips are exported to countries around the world. The U.S. Department of Commerce quietly removed the draft...

Apple MacBook Neo Earns Best Repairability Score in Over a Decade, But Falls Short of Competitors

Apples newly announced MacBook Neo, starting at just $499 for students, has received the highest repairability rating the company has achieved since 2014, according to a fresh analysis by iFixit the well-known repair...