Marcelo Gleiser
Theoretical Physicist
Marcelo Gleiser is a professor of natural philosophy, physics, and astronomy at Dartmouth College. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a recipient of the Presidential Faculty Fellows Award from the White House and NSF, and was awarded the 2019 Templeton Prize. Gleiser has authored five books and is the co-founder of 13.8, where he writes about science and culture with physicist Adam Frank.
Max Planck and how the dramatic birth of quantum physics changed the world
The quantum world is one in which rules that are completely foreign to our everyday experience dictate bizarre behavior.
Earth is where matter meets purpose. Are humans serving a good purpose?
We cannot afford to dream about living on other worlds while we continue to destroy ours.
If an advanced alien civilization exists, what can they teach us about survival?
Humanity is in trouble. Here's how aliens could help.
Mentors change lives. Find one, be one
Your mentors made time for you. Now, go and make time for others.
Science is like watching a strange game and trying to figure out the rules
Our understanding always will remain incomplete.
How do you turn a country into a scientific powerhouse? Fund basic science.
Do we still remember what we learned in the 1940s?
Work is an essential part of being human, and robots won’t take that away
Living is about staying busy.
The choice we must face when our loved ones die
There's no escaping the death of loved ones. But that doesn't mean we're powerless in the wake of loss.
NASA’s DART: A giant leap for mankind in protecting Earth from an asteroid impact
This technological feat changes our cosmic history.
Synthetic biology has the power to cure — and kill. How will we use it?
Synthetic biology has the power to cure and kill. Have we learned from our past mistakes?
Why is it so hard to understand what a theory is?
Even the dictionary doesn't get the definition right.
Why the Multiverse is a “God-of-the-gaps” theory
The false assumption the Multiverse relies on is that something which exists requires an explanation.
Enlightenment 2.0: We need another Age of Reason to save our civilization
A second Enlightenment would have a far bigger task: Saving civilization itself.
James Webb Space Telescope launches astronomy into a new era
Astronomy's roots rest in the very origins of humanity. We have always looked to the skies for answers. We are starting to get them.
The simulation hypothesis is a dangerous illusion
It is little more than a fancy excuse for escapist fantasizing.
What is the ultimate fate of the Universe?
Modern cosmology conjectures different possible fates for the Universe and thus for the end of time. Details depend on which model is right.
The dream of transhumanism: Are we merely human — or are we something more?
Humans are already so integrated with technology that the dream of transhumanism is a reality. Can we handle what comes next?
Google engineer claims his AI is sentient. It definitely is not
The engineer working on Google's AI, called LaMDA, suffers from what we could call Michelangelo Syndrome. Scientists must beware hubris.
How the Multiverse could break the scientific method
There is nothing more important to science than its ability to prove ideas wrong.
Are some things so taboo that science should never research them?
Science has come a long way since Mary Shelley penned "Frankenstein." But we still grapple with the same questions.
We are the only humans in the universe
All life forms, anywhere in our Universe, are chemically connected yet completely unique.
Do singularities exist in nature?
Singularities frustrate our understanding. But behind every singularity in physics hides a secret door to a new understanding of the world.
Quantum Steampunk: A new frontier in quantum physics
How efficiently could quantum engines operate?
Science vs. God: Understanding reality is not a battle between reason and faith
Many people perceive the struggle to understand our Universe as a battle between science and God. But this is a false dichotomy.