{{Short description|British astrophysicist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox scientist/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL|suppressfields=doctoral_students}} '''Peter Coles''' (born 1963<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIfvAAAAMAAJ|title=Cosmology: the origin and evolution of cosmic structure|last1=Coles|first1=Peter|last2=Lucchin|first2=Francesco|date=30 May 1995|publisher=John Wiley|isbn=9780471954736|language=en}}</ref>) is a theoretical cosmologist at Maynooth University.<ref name="mupage" /> He studies the large scale structure of the Universe.
He studied for his PhD from 1985 to 1988, subsequently becoming a postdoctoral researcher at Sussex and Queen Mary, subsequently becoming a lecturer there. He was a professor at Cardiff University starting in 2007, and from 2013 he was the head of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex. In 2017 he started working at Maynooth University, becoming head of the Department of Theoretical Physics in 2019.
== Early life and education == He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle.<ref name="coles_blog_26oct2008"/>
He did his first degree at Magdalene College, Cambridge, in Natural Sciences, specialising in Theoretical Physics.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> In 1985<ref name="Cardiff" /> he started studying for his doctorate at the University of Sussex, supervised by John D. Barrow, and completed his DPhil thesis in 1988.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" />
Coles advises LGBT scientists not to worry excessively that their sexual orientation will impair their careers.<ref name="science_2004" />
== Career == Coles has been a cosmologist and theoretical astrophysicist since 1985.<ref name="irishtimes" /> During 1988 and 1990 he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sussex, before moving to the mathematics department of the Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London, where he worked from 1990 until 1999,<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> first as a temporary lecturer, then as a PPARC Advanced Fellow from 1993 to 1998, becoming Lecturer-in-waiting in 1994 and Reader-in-waiting in 1997.<ref name="Cardiff" /> He then worked at the University of Nottingham between 1999 and 2007<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> as a professor of astrophysics, where he set up a new group in astronomy.<ref name="Cardiff" />
Coles was a professor of theoretical astrophysics at Cardiff University from 2007 to 2013, and was the deputy head of the school of physics and astronomy.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" />
In February 2013 he became the head of the school of mathematical and physical sciences at the University of Sussex.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> He left the University of Sussex in 2016 to return to Cardiff to hold a joint position with the school of physics and astronomy and the Data Innovation Research Institute.<ref name="Cardiff" /> On 1 December 2017 he started working part-time at both Maynooth University and Cardiff,<ref name="telescoper_1Dec17" /> moving full-time to Maynooth in July 2018.<ref name="telescoper_about" /> He became head of the Department of Theoretical Physics on 1 September 2019.<ref name="telescoper_about" /> He edits the Open Journal of Astrophysics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Editorial Board {{!}} The Open Journal of Astrophysics |url=https://astro.theoj.org/editorial-board |access-date=2026-05-02 |website=astro.theoj.org |language=en}}</ref>
He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and of the Institute of Physics,<ref name="coles_blog_13jun2013"/> but resigned from both in 2024 due to their use of high article processing charges for their gold open access journals.<ref name="fras" /> He has served on the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society.<ref name="ras_council_2013_elections"/>
He currently resides in Maynooth. Among the places he has previously lived in are Brighton, Beeston in Nottinghamshire, Bethnal Green in London, and Cardiff.<ref name="coles_blog_10jan2017"/><ref name="coles_blog_30oct2008"/><ref name="coles_blog_05aug2016"/><ref name="coles_blog_23mar2017"/>
== Research == His primary research interest is in cosmology and the large-scale structure of the Universe,<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> specifically on theoretical models that try to account for the properties of the observable universe, including the cosmic microwave background and galaxy clusters. He also researches cosmological models that feature magnetic fields, Non-Gaussianity and asymmetries,<ref name="Cardiff" /> as well as the application of probability and statistics in astronomy and physics.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" />
He has taught undergraduate courses in mathematics, statistics, and astronomy.<ref name="Sussex_16Oct12" /> Along with Francesco Lucchin he wrote a textbook on "Cosmology: the origin and evolution of cosmic structure" ({{ISBN|978-0-471-48909-2}}), and a second edition of it was published by John Wiley & Sons in July 2002.<ref name="Wiley" />
He is the only Irish-based member of the Euclid (spacecraft) collaboration, where he studies the clustering of galaxies.<ref name="irishtimes" />
== Personal life ==
He has a blog named ''In the Dark'', where he writes under the name ''Telescoper'' (an anagram of his name), covering a range of topics including astronomy, science funding, opera, jazz, rugby and crosswords. In 1999 it was one of "Five great physics blogs" listed by the ''Daily Telegraph''.<ref name="Telegraph_25Mar99" /> He enjoys a wide range of music, especially classical and jazz and he listens to Radio 3,{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} but he does not like the sound produced by harpsichords.<ref name="telescoper_18Mar17" />
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="Sussex_16Oct12">{{cite web|title=New Head of Mathematical and Physical Sciences appointed|url=http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents/?id=16086|publisher=The University of Sussex | date=16 October 2012}}</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_26oct2008">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = A Friend of Dorothy | work = In The Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 26 October 2008 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/a-friend-of-dorothy/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }}</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_13jun2013">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = Hawking at BAFTA | work = In The Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 13 June 2013 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/hawking-at-bafta/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }} (About Fellowship of the Institute of Physics.)</ref> <ref name="ras_council_2013_elections">{{cite web | title = Election results: new President and Council | publisher = Royal Astronomical Society | date = 2013 | url = https://www.ras.org.uk/component/content/article/224-news-2013/2248-election-results-new-president-and-council | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }}</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_10jan2017">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = The "Pont" in Pontcanna | work = In The Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 10 January 2017 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/the-pont-in-pontcanna/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }} (About residence in Cardiff.)</ref> <ref name="science_2004">{{cite web | last = Arney | first = Kat | title = It's Great if You're Straight? | work = Science Magazine | date = 6 August 2004 | url = https://www.science.org/content/article/its-great-if-youre-straight }}</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_30oct2008">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = In the Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 30 October 2008 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/in-the-dark/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }} (About residence near Nottingham.)</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_05aug2016">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = Last Day in Brighton | work = In The Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 5 August 2016 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/last-day-in-brighton/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }} (About residence in Brighton.)</ref> <ref name="coles_blog_23mar2017">{{cite web | last = Coles | first = Peter | title = London looking back | work = In The Dark | publisher = Wordpress | date = 23 March 2017 | url = https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2017/03/23/london-looking-back/ | accessdate = 28 March 2017 }} (About residence in Bethnal Green, London.)</ref> <ref name="Cardiff">{{cite web|title=Prof Peter Coles|url=http://www.astro.cf.ac.uk/contactsandpeople/?page=full&id=86|publisher=University of Cardiff|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Telegraph_25Mar99">{{cite news | url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/iandouglas/9288497/five_great_physics_blogs/ | title=Five great physics blogs | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225925/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/iandouglas/9288497/five_great_physics_blogs/ | archivedate=3 March 2016}}</ref> <ref name="telescoper_18Mar17">{{cite web|title=Wikipedia Update|url=https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/wikipedia-update/|website=In the Dark|date=18 March 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Wiley">{{cite web|url=http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471489093.html|title=Cosmology: The Origin and Evolution of Cosmic Structure, 2nd Edition | publisher=Wiley|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref> <ref name="telescoper_1Dec17">{{cite web|title=A Message from Maynooth|url=https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/a-message-from-maynooth/|website=In the Dark|date=1 December 2017}}</ref> <ref name="mupage">{{cite web|title= Prof Peter Coles|url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/peter-coles|website=Maynooth University|access-date=2020-01-15}}</ref> <ref name="telescoper_about">{{cite web|title=About Me|date=15 September 2008 |url=https://telescoper.wordpress.com/about/|access-date=2020-01-15}}</ref> <ref name="irishtimes">{{cite news |last1=Duke |first1=Seán |title=Space mission hopes to solve the riddle of 'missing' matter |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/space-mission-hopes-to-solve-the-riddle-of-missing-matter-1.4757906 |access-date=6 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref> <ref name="fras">{{cite web |title=Don’t call me FRAS |url=https://telescoper.blog/2024/03/22/dont-call-me-fras/ |website=In the Dark |access-date=26 December 2024 |language=en |date=22 March 2024}}</ref> }}
==External links== *{{MathGenealogy | ID= 124008 }} *[http://telescoper.wordpress.com/ Coles' blog]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, Peter}} Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne Category:Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex Category:Academics of the University of Nottingham Category:Academics of Queen Mary University of London Category:Academics of the University of Sussex Category:Academics of Cardiff University Category:Academics of Maynooth University Category:Living people Category:21st-century British physicists Category:21st-century Irish astronomers Category:British cosmologists Category:People from Beeston, Nottinghamshire Category:Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Category:Fellows of the Institute of Physics Category:1963 births Category:British LGBTQ scientists Category:20th-century British physicists Category:20th-century Irish astronomers