Brian Greene (String Theory)

Last but certainly not least is probably one of the best-known string theorists, especially among nonphysicists. Brian Greene’s popularity as a writer and spokesman for the field dates back to his 1999 topic The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, which was used in 2003 as the basis for a three-part PBS Nova special. In 2004, Greene followed up with the topic The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Fabric of Reality. (He has appeared on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report at least twice, outdoing Dr. Randall’s one appearance.)
Dr. Greene earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard. As a Rhodes Scholar, he received a 1986 doctorate from Oxford University. He was a professor at Cornell University for several years, but has been a full professor at Columbia University since 1996. Throughout his career, his research has focused on quantum geometry and attempting to understand the physical meaning of the extra dimensions implied by string theory.
In addition to trying to explain string theory to the masses, Greene has been co-director of Columbia University’s Institute for Strings, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (ISCAP) since its founding in 2000.
In 2008, Greene was a founder of the World Science Festival in New York City, where a dance troupe performed an interpretative dance version of his topic The Elegant Universe.