PHYSICIST
Kip Thorne
1940 - Today

Kip Thorne
Kip Stephen Thorne (born June 1, 1940) is an American theoretical physicist and writer known for his contributions in gravitational physics and astrophysics. Along with Rainer Weiss and Barry C. Barish, he was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves. A longtime friend and colleague of Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan, he was the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) until 2009 and speaks of the astrophysical implications of the general theory of relativity. He continues to do scientific research and scientific consulting, a notable example of which was for the Christopher Nolan film Interstellar. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Kip Thorne is the 202nd most popular physicist (down from 143rd in 2019), the 753rd most popular biography from United States (down from 524th in 2019) and the 36th most popular American Physicist.
Kip Thorne is most famous for his work in general relativity, black holes, and gravitational waves.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Kip Thorne ranks 202 out of 851. Before him are Hugh David Politzer, Horst Ludwig Störmer, Bertram Brockhouse, Max Delbrück, David Brewster, and Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov. After him are Hugh Everett III, Klaus von Klitzing, Karl Schwarzschild, Maurice Wilkins, Murray Gell-Mann, and Theodor W. Hänsch.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsHugh David Politzer
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.88
Rank: 196
Horst Ludwig Störmer
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.83
Rank: 197
Bertram Brockhouse
1918 - 2003
HPI: 71.82
Rank: 198
Max Delbrück
1906 - 1981
HPI: 71.79
Rank: 199
David Brewster
1781 - 1868
HPI: 71.78
Rank: 200
Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov
1928 - 2017
HPI: 71.73
Rank: 201
Kip Thorne
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 202
Hugh Everett III
1930 - 1982
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 203
Klaus von Klitzing
1943 - Present
HPI: 71.64
Rank: 204
Karl Schwarzschild
1873 - 1916
HPI: 71.63
Rank: 205
Maurice Wilkins
1916 - 2004
HPI: 71.61
Rank: 206
Murray Gell-Mann
1929 - 2019
HPI: 71.58
Rank: 207
Theodor W. Hänsch
1941 - Present
HPI: 71.55
Rank: 208
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1940, Kip Thorne ranks 47. Before him are Tony Tan, Julie Christie, Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein, James Caan, Abdurrahman Wahid, and Patrick Stewart. After him are Óscar Arias, Terry Gilliam, Nancy Sinatra, Dario Argento, Richard Williamson, and Anna Karina.
Others Born in 1940
Go to all RankingsTony Tan
POLITICIAN
1940 - Present
HPI: 72.37
Rank: 41
Julie Christie
ACTOR
1940 - Present
HPI: 72.12
Rank: 42
Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein
POLITICIAN
1940 - 2021
HPI: 71.96
Rank: 43
James Caan
ACTOR
1940 - 2022
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 44
Abdurrahman Wahid
POLITICIAN
1940 - 2009
HPI: 71.79
Rank: 45
Patrick Stewart
ACTOR
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.73
Rank: 46
Kip Thorne
PHYSICIST
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 47
Óscar Arias
POLITICIAN
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.49
Rank: 48
Terry Gilliam
FILM DIRECTOR
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 49
Nancy Sinatra
SINGER
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 50
Dario Argento
FILM DIRECTOR
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 51
Richard Williamson
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1940 - 2025
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 52
Anna Karina
ACTOR
1940 - 2019
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 53
In United States
Among people born in United States, Kip Thorne ranks 753 out of 20,380. Before him are John Cazale (1935), Martin Cooper (1928), Charles Goodyear (1800), Mike Pence (1959), William G. Morgan (1870), and Bell hooks (1952). After him are Marshall Warren Nirenberg (1927), Hugh Everett III (1930), Diana Ross (1944), Roy Lichtenstein (1923), Georgia O'Keeffe (1887), and Pat Robertson (1930).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJohn Cazale
ACTOR
1935 - 1978
HPI: 71.73
Rank: 747
Martin Cooper
BUSINESSPERSON
1928 - Present
HPI: 71.73
Rank: 748
Charles Goodyear
INVENTOR
1800 - 1860
HPI: 71.72
Rank: 749
Mike Pence
POLITICIAN
1959 - Present
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 750
William G. Morgan
INVENTOR
1870 - 1942
HPI: 71.70
Rank: 751
Bell hooks
WRITER
1952 - 2021
HPI: 71.69
Rank: 752
Kip Thorne
PHYSICIST
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 753
Marshall Warren Nirenberg
CHEMIST
1927 - 2010
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 754
Hugh Everett III
PHYSICIST
1930 - 1982
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 755
Diana Ross
SINGER
1944 - Present
HPI: 71.67
Rank: 756
Roy Lichtenstein
ARTIST
1923 - 1997
HPI: 71.67
Rank: 757
Georgia O'Keeffe
PAINTER
1887 - 1986
HPI: 71.65
Rank: 758
Pat Robertson
PHILOSOPHER
1930 - 2023
HPI: 71.65
Rank: 759
Among PHYSICISTS In United States
Among physicists born in United States, Kip Thorne ranks 36. Before him are Burton Richter (1931), Jerome Isaac Friedman (1930), Douglas Osheroff (1945), George Smoot (1945), Val Logsdon Fitch (1923), and Hugh David Politzer (1949). After him are Hugh Everett III (1930), Murray Gell-Mann (1929), Edward Mills Purcell (1912), James Cronin (1931), David Lee (1931), and Steven Weinberg (1933).
Burton Richter
1931 - 2018
HPI: 72.39
Rank: 30
Jerome Isaac Friedman
1930 - Present
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 31
Douglas Osheroff
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 32
George Smoot
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 33
Val Logsdon Fitch
1923 - 2015
HPI: 72.01
Rank: 34
Hugh David Politzer
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.88
Rank: 35
Kip Thorne
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 36
Hugh Everett III
1930 - 1982
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 37
Murray Gell-Mann
1929 - 2019
HPI: 71.58
Rank: 38
Edward Mills Purcell
1912 - 1997
HPI: 71.44
Rank: 39
James Cronin
1931 - 2016
HPI: 71.43
Rank: 40
David Lee
1931 - Present
HPI: 71.41
Rank: 41
Steven Weinberg
1933 - 2021
HPI: 71.33
Rank: 42