Combining her training as a journalist with a graduate degree in physics, Marcia Bartusiak has been covering the fields of astronomy and physics for four decades and has published in a variety of publications, including
Science,
Smithsonian,
Discover,
National Geographic,
Astronomy. and
Natural History. Her latest books are
Dispatches from Planet 3, a collection of cosmological essays,
Black Hole: How An Idea Abandoned by Newtonians, Hated by Einstein, and Gambled on by Hawking Became Loved and
The Day We Found the Universe, about the birth of modern cosmology in the 1920s, which was reviewed by the
San Francisco Chronicle as “a small wonder” and received the History of Science Society’s 2010 Davis Prize for best history of science book for the public.
Bartusiak has also written
Thursday's Universe, a guide to the frontiers of astrophysics;
Through a Universe Darkly, a history of astronomers' quest to discover the universe's composition; and
Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony, a chronicle of the international attempt to detect cosmic gravity waves (which was updated and republished in the summer of 2017). Each was named a notable book by the
New York Times. Another of her books,
Archives of the Universe, a history of the major discoveries in astronomy told through 100 of the original scientific publications, is used in introductory astronomy courses across the nation. In 2006 Bartusiak received the prestigious Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics for her significant contributions to the cultural, artistic, and humanistic dimension of physics and in 2008 was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for “exceptionally clear communication of the rich history, the intricate nature, and the modern practice of astronomy to the public at large.”
