Paul Sutter

Paul M. Sutter is a research professor in astrophysics at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University and a guest researcher at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. A prolific and globally recognized science communicator, Sutter is the author of two books, "Your Place in the Universe" and "How to Die in Space."

Sutter hosts a variety of science shows across all platforms, including as an on-air contributor to How the Universe Works on Science Channel and host of Space Out on Discovery. He also writes and hosts his own shows, including his hit Ask a Spaceman podcast, which is among the top 5% of all podcasts across all subjects globally. He writes for Space.com, Ars Technica, Universe Today, LiveScience, and more, with his articles syndicating to news outlets worldwide.

Sutter earned his PhD in physics in 2011 as a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow at the University of Illinois. He then spent three years at the Paris Institute for Astrophysics followed by two years as a research fellow at the Trieste Observatory in Italy. Prior to his current appointment, he served as the chief scientist at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio while maintaining a cosmological researcher position at the Ohio State University.

Sutter's areas of research include studying the largest empty regions in the universe, mapping the leftover light from the big bang, and developing new techniques for finding the first stars to appear in the cosmos. He has authored over 60 academic papers and given over 100 seminars, colloquia, and conference talks at institutions around the world.

You’ll often find Sutter in the news providing commentary, especially in his role as the Weather Channel's Official Space Specialist. He has consulted on everything from major TV shows, such as Star Trek Discovery and Another Life, to films and comic books and stage plays. He was even given the opportunity to act in one project, UFO, giving him an Erdős–Bacon number of 5.

In addition to his mainstream science outreach, Sutter has spent years exploring the intersection of science and art. In 2017 he wrote, produced, and narrated Song of the Stars, a dance performance exploring the history of our universe which aired on PBS member stations nationwide. More recently, he collaborated with Syren Modern Dance of New York City to create Ticktock, a stage experience exploring the nature of time through a woven performance of narration, music, and movement. In 2021 Sutter , along with Syren, was selected by the U.S. Department of State to be a Cultural Ambassador to the World Expo in Dubai.

You can find Sutter everywhere from the stage and screen to all forms of social media, and is routinely brought in to speak and host workshops and conferences in meetings around the world. He is available to speak about physics, astronomy, space exploration, the intersection of science and art, and the relationship between science and society.

Sutter lives in Connecticut with his partner, Kate St. Amand (co-artistic director of Syren Modern Dance and the real brains behind Ticktock), and two boys who enjoy drawing silly aliens on his chalkboard.