Alan Lightman

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About Alan Lightman

Alan Lightman is an American writer, physicist, and social entrepreneur. Born in 1948, he was educated at Princeton and at the California Institute of Technology, where he received a PhD in theoretical physics. He has received five honorary doctoral degrees. Lightman has served on the faculties of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities. He is currently professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. His scientific research in astrophysics has concerned black holes, relativity theory, radiative processes, and the dynamics of systems of stars. His essays and articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper's, the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications. His essays are often chosen by the New York Times as among the best essays of the year. He is the author of 6 novels, several collections of essays, a memoir, and a book-length narrative poem, as well as several books on science. His novel Einstein's Dreams was an international bestseller and has been the basis for dozens of independent theatrical and musical adaptations around the world. His novel The Diagnosis was a finalist for the National Book Award. His most recent books are The Accidental Universe, which was chosen by Brain Pickings as one of the 10 best books of 2014, his memoir Screening Room, which was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the best books of the year for 2016, and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine (2018), and extended meditation on science and religion. Lightman is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the founder of the Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to advance a new generation of women leaders in Southeast Asia."

Photo by Alan Lightman (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Books By Alan Lightman

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Einstein's Dreams (Vintage Contemporaries) Mar 02, 2011

by Alan Lightman

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Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine Mar 27, 2018

by Alan Lightman

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In Praise of Wasting Time (TED Books) May 15, 2018

by Alan Lightman

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The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew Jan 14, 2014

by Alan Lightman

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Great Ideas in Physics Jan 01, 1992

by Alan Lightman

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A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit Jan 18, 2005

by Alan Lightman

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Mr g: A Novel About the Creation (Vintage Contemporaries) Jan 24, 2012

by Alan Lightman

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Living with the Genie: Essays On Technology And The Quest For Human Mastery Sep 15, 2004

by Alan Lightman , Daniel Sarewitz , Christina Desser

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The Discoveries: Great Breakthroughs in 20th-Century Science, Including the Original Papers May 09, 2009

by Alan Lightman

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Screening Room: Family Pictures Feb 10, 2015

by Alan Lightman

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Ghost: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries) Oct 23, 2007

by Alan Lightman

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Dance for Two: Essays Mar 09, 2011

by Alan Lightman

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This title will be released on October 16, 2018.

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