Professor Dr. Habil. Michael Heller (born 1936) is a Polish cosmologist, philosopher, and theologian, specializing, among others, in relativistic cosmology, noncommutative geometry, philosophy and history of science, as well as in studies on the relationship of science and religion. He is professor emeritus of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków as well as adjunct fellow of the Vatican Observatory. Michael Heller is a former visiting professor of many universities, e.g., in Oxford, Cambridge, Bochum, Louvain, and Washington. He is the author and editor of several dozens of book monographs, including “A comprehensible Universe” (with G. Coyne; Springer, 2008), “Ultimate explanations of the Universe” (Springer, 2009), “Infinity: New research frontiers” (with H. Woodin; Cambridge University Press, 2011); “Some mathematical physics for philosophers” (Gregorian University, 2005), “Creative tension: Essays on science & religion” (Templeton Foundation Press, 2003), “Philosophy in Science: An historical introduction” (Springer, 2011), “Philosophy of chance” (Copernicus Center Press, 2012). He published several hundred peer-reviewed articles in journals including Astrophysics and Space Science, Physics Letters A, General Relativity and Gravitation, Physical Review D, Classical and Quantum Gravity, Journal of Mathematical Physics, Foundations of Physics, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Foundations of Science. Professor Heller holds many honorary degrees, e.g., from Jagiellonian University, Kraków University of Technology, Silesia University, and Warsaw University of Technology. He is laureate of many distinctions and prizes, including Gold Cross of Merit, Order of Polonia Restituta, Order of the White Eagle, Plus ratio quam vis medal, as well as Templeton Prize (1.6 million USD) that he devoted entirely to founding the Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. He was the first director of the Copernicus Center, and today he is member of its executive council.
