Theoretical Physicist
"Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions"
Thursday, January 26, 2006, 11:10 a.m.
Lisa Randall is one of the emerging stars of theoretical physics. Her groundbreaking work in theoretical high-energy physics is changing the way that scientists think about and research the universe. She has investigated possibilities for particle physics and cosmology when there are more than three dimensions -- and has found extra dimensions could have astounding implications, such as the possibility of a hidden fifth dimension of infinite extent that is nonetheless invisible. This work overturned the canonical belief, held since 1920, that extra dimensions, should they exist, must be rolled up to a very small size. She has also shown how “warped” five dimensional space-time could naturally explain the extreme weakness of gravity relative to other forces, which remains a major puzzle in conventional particle physics.
A professor of physics at Harvard University, Lisa Randall is the winner of an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award. Prior to joining the staff at Harvard, she was a professor at both MIT and Princeton University. She is currently working on a new book that will explore theoretical physics for a general audience, and make the idea of extra dimensions one of the most talked about scientific ideas of this decade.
Read the Press Release: Acclaimed Harvard Physicist Explores Hidden Dimensions in Lawrence University Convocation