Brian Greene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Greene
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Greene in 2012
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Brian Randolph Greene
February 9, 1963 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (BS) Magdalen College, Oxford (PhD) |
| Known for | String theory The Elegant Universe The Fabric of the Cosmos The Hidden Reality |
| Spouse(s) | Tracy Day |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Andrew Gemant Award (2003) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Cornell University Columbia University |
| Thesis | Superstrings: topology, geometry and phenomenology and astrophysical implications of supersymmetric models (1986) |
| Doctoral advisor | Graham G. Ross James Binney |
Brian Greene (born February 9, 1963) is an American physicist and mathematician. He is famous for his work on string theory, which tries to explain how the universe works at its most basic level. He teaches at Columbia University and helps lead its center for theoretical physics.
Brian Greene also co-founded the World Science Festival in 2008. This festival brings science to everyone in fun and interesting ways. He has written several popular books about physics, like The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos. These books have helped many people understand complex ideas about space, time, and the universe. He has also hosted TV shows based on his books and even appeared in movies and TV series like The Big Bang Theory.
Early life and education
Brian Greene was born in New York City. His father, Alan Greene, was a voice coach and composer. Brian went to Stuyvesant High School and then studied physics at Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1984 with top honors.
After Harvard, he went to Magdalen College, Oxford in England. There, he earned his PhD in theoretical physics in 1987. His PhD paper was about "superstrings," which are tiny, vibrating strings that some scientists believe make up everything in the universe. While at Oxford, Brian Greene also studied piano.
Academic career
Brian Greene started teaching physics at Cornell University in 1990. He became a full professor there in 1995. The next year, he moved to Columbia University, where he is now a full professor. At Columbia, he directs the university's center for theoretical physics. He leads research that connects string theory with math and the study of the universe.
Research
Brian Greene's main research area is string theory. This theory suggests that the smallest parts of the universe are not tiny particles, but rather tiny, vibrating strings. String theory is a leading idea for a "unified theory" that could explain all the forces and particles in the universe.
He has done important work on understanding the different shapes that the "curled-up" extra dimensions in string theory might take. He helped discover something called mirror symmetry. This idea connects two different shapes of these extra dimensions. He also showed that in string theory, the shape of space can change smoothly.
Greene has also looked into how string theory relates to the beginning of the universe. He has explored ideas like "brane-gas cosmologies," which try to explain why our universe has three large dimensions. He has even studied if signals could travel faster than light or if time travel might be possible in some theoretical situations.
Communicating Science
Brian Greene is well-known for making complex physics ideas easy to understand for everyone. He helps people learn about string theory and the search for a unified theory of physics.
Books
His first book, The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, came out in 1999. It was a New York Times Best Seller and explained superstring theory and M-theory. It was even a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
His second book, The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality (2004), was also a New York Times Best Seller. This book explores ideas about space, time, and the nature of the universe.
Greene's third book, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos (2011), was another New York Times Best Seller. It dives deeper into the idea of multiple universes.
His most recent book, Until the End of Time: Mind Matter and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe (2020), also became a New York Times Best Seller. It looks at how the universe has changed over time and what its future might be, as well as how life and consciousness appeared.
Documentary Television
The Elegant Universe, his first book, was made into a three-part PBS TV special. Brian Greene hosted and narrated it, and it won a Peabody Award.
His second book, The Fabric of the Cosmos, was also turned into a four-part PBS TV special. Brian Greene hosted and narrated this one too, and it was nominated for several Emmy Awards.
Stage Works
Brian Greene has also created stage shows that combine science with art. He worked with famous artists to adapt his story Icarus at the Edge of Time into a show with an orchestra, film, and a narrator. This show has been performed many times around the world.
He also wrote Light Falls: Space, Time, and an Obsession of Einstein. This show tells the story of Albert Einstein and his discovery of General Theory of Relativity.
World Science Festival
In 2008, Brian Greene and Tracy Day started the World Science Festival. Their goal was to help everyone understand and be excited by science. The festival offers many live and online programs about topics like space, black holes, and artificial intelligence. Many scientists, technologists, and artists take part in these programs.
Media
Because his books are so popular and he is good on camera, Brian Greene has appeared on many TV shows. These include The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America, and The Colbert Report.
He also appeared as himself in an episode of The Big Bang Theory. He was a science consultant for the movies Frequency and Déjà Vu. He even had a small role in the movie The Last Mimzy.
Brian Greene has given talks about science in over twenty-five countries and on all seven continents.
Recognition
- 1984 Rhodes Scholarship
- 2000 Aventis Prize, The Elegant Universe
- 2003 Gemant Award
- 2003 George Foster Peabody Award, The Elegant Universe with Brian Greene
- 2012 AAPT Richtmeyer Memorial Award
- 2013 Merck-Serono Book Prize for Literature and Science, for The Hidden Reality
- 2020 Michael Pupin Medal for Service to the Nation in Science
In 2015, an Australian spider was named Dolomedes briangreenei in his honor!
Personal life
Brian Greene is married to Tracy Day, who used to be a TV producer. They have a son named Alec and a daughter named Sophia. Brian Greene has been a vegetarian since he was nine years old and a vegan since 1997.
He believes that science is the best way to understand the world. He feels that religion is important for human culture, but he doesn't think it's needed to explain how the universe works.
See also
In Spanish: Brian Greene para niños
