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Renowned Physicist George F. Smoot Passes at 80

10/21/2025

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Summary

Story summary

George F. Smoot, a Nobel laureate and influential physicist, died on September 18, 2023, in Paris at age 80 from cardiac arrest.
He was renowned for his work with the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, which provided critical evidence of the Big Bang and cosmic microwave background.
Smoot's research transformed cosmology into a data-driven science and led to the development of instruments for measuring cosmic temperature variations.
He established cosmology institutes worldwide and was active in science education through teaching and media appearances.
Smoot is survived by his partner, Nóra Csiszár, and his sister, Sharon Bowie.

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Story summary

George F. Smoot, a Nobel laureate and influential physicist, died on September 18, 2023, in Paris at age 80 from cardiac arrest.
He was renowned for his work with the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, which provided critical evidence of the Big Bang and cosmic microwave background.
Smoot's research transformed cosmology into a data-driven science and led to the development of instruments for measuring cosmic temperature variations.
He established cosmology institutes worldwide and was active in science education through teaching and media appearances.
Smoot is survived by his partner, Nóra Csiszár, and his sister, Sharon Bowie.