The big questions about the origin of the universe, about time travel, the existence of extraterrestrial mind and reaching other planets have always interested young scientist Deyan Mihailov. As a boy he used to spend many hours thinking about how it was possible for the universe to have no end and in high school he realized he wanted to devote himself to science. His vocation took him to Oxford and Cambridge, where he graduated from and had his doctorate in astrophysics.
“Over the last millennium, scientists have been able to answer many questions related to astronomy and astrophysics, but they, in turn, raised even more difficult questions that we still cannot find answers to,” Deyan Mihaylov says. That is why, according to him, this process would never end and there would always be new discoveries raising new questions. For example, the discovery of gravitational waves, predicted a century ago by Einstein, has opened a new window for studying the universe. Gravitational waves is the topic the scientist devoted his efforts to in one of the Max Planck Institutes in Berlin.
“When gravitational waves were first detected in 2015, it was a turning point for the development of astrophysics,” Deyan Mihaylov says. “Astronomers had previously relied only on light coming from distant objects to study them, but now they could hear their movement. I started my doctorate a few months before gravitational waves were detected and had the opportunity to be involved in this international effort from the very beginning. I focused on the so-called low-frequency gravitational waves that, if detected one day, would tell us how the universe emerged and what were the first processes after the Big Bang.”
During his work at Cambridge, Deyan Mihailov met Stephen Hawking. The brilliant astrophysicist even went to a seminar by the Bulgarian.
“Stephen Hawking was the reason I went to Cambridge because he had turned the institute there into a world center for the development of astrophysics,” Deyan Mihailov says. “So it was extremely exciting for me when I first saw Stephen Hawking. During my time at Cambridge, I had the opportunity to talk to him several times and the questions I asked him were related to the future of astrophysics after the discovery of gravitational waves, and whether we would someday find answers to questions that he himself did not manage to find. According to him, this would happen – whether in ten or a hundred years, since humans will always have this excitement and curiosity that drives them to understand more about the universe.”
Does the young scientist agree with Stephen Hawking's opinion that in a few centuries, humanity would destroy the Earth and therefore must seek for a new home?
“If a natural phenomenon, an asteroid or a world war threatened to destroy the planet, we must have a backup plan,” he replies. “We must continue the human race and from this point of view it is imperative to establish a colony on another planet. The first and closest opportunity is Mars, where we could establish a colony in the next 10-20 years, although it would be very difficult and expensive. Indeed, we do not have the technology to reach other planets, but two hundred years ago we had no way of getting to the moon or Mars. It is therefore important that we continue to develop and do new things – even if they might seem almost impossible at the moment, they could still be achieved through new technologies.”
Deyan Mihailov says he would love to live on Mars someday, but in the meantime, he is dedicated to finding out what happened in the first seconds after the Big Bang.
English: Alexander Markov
Photos: courtesy of Deyan MihailovAt the traditional Sunday gathering of Bulgarians in South Africa today in Midrand on the occasion of yesterday's Children's Day the books for children of our compatriot Matina Genkova-Mpofu will be presented . "The first children's book I..
"I Saw Danger With My Own Eyes" is the name of the charity exhibition that will be on display from June 4 to 21 at the "IKAR" Gallery in Sofia. The exhibition supports children of deceased or injured firefighters. The paintings are drawn by..
The town of Breznik, birthplace of the king of irony, Stoyan Milenkov , troubadour and satirist, is located in western Bulgaria and is the third largest town in the Pernik municipality. There were 3,762 people living there in March 2024, according to..
5,257 is the number of towns and villages in Bulgaria, National Statistical Institute data from 2021 show. Almost 5,000 of them are small settlements,..
Children in Sofia have the opportunity to experience the thrill of driving a train in the Sofia-Metropolitan's train simulator at the Zemlyane depot...
The town of Breznik, birthplace of the king of irony, Stoyan Milenkov , troubadour and satirist, is located in western Bulgaria and is the third..
+359 2 9336 661