Diederik Roest appointed member of the Young Academy

Diederik Roest (1977) has been appointed a member of the Young Academy. Every year the Young Academy selects ten talented new researchers to add to its ranks. The Young Academy is part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It is an independent platform of leading young researchers that organises activities focusing on interdisciplinarity, science policy, and the interface between science and society.

In addition to their proven research excellence, members of the Young Academy take a broad interest in science and in science communication. Membership is for a five-year period. The latest group of new members will be inducted on 20 March 2014 during an official ceremony held in the Royal Academy’s Trippenhuis Building.

String cosmology

Dr Diederik Roest (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Groningen) is interested in the mathematical properties of string theory, but enjoys testing abstract theory experimentally. For example, he is studying how string existence could be proved by observations at the largest distance scales, such as cosmic background radiation. Roest hopes that the Planck space observatory’s latest measurements will offer clues as to whether string theory actually does play a role in nature. Diederik Roest is passionate about explaining complex science to laypersons in order to build trust in research.

More information

Press release Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences: Ten talented researchers elected to the Young Academy