Martin Rees is the UK's Astronomer Royal, a fellow (and former Master) of Trinity College, and was President of the Royal Society from 2005 to 2010. He is a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy, the Japan Academy, and several other foreign academies. His awards include the Balzan Prize, the Bower Award, the Gruber Prize, the Crafoord Prize, and the Templeton Prize. In addition to his research publications, he has written extensively for a general readership. His ten other books include Before the Beginning, Just Six Numbers, Our Cosmic Habitat, and On the Future: Prospects for Humanity.