Alan Lightman — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at MIT
Founder and Chairman of Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit advancing women leaders in Southeast Asia
One of the first at MIT to hold a joint faculty position in both the sciences and the humanities
Author of the international bestseller *Einstein's Dreams* and the novel *The Diagnosis*, a National Book Award finalist
Host of the public-television series *Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science*
Member of the United Nations’ Scientific Advisory Board
Holds a Ph.D. in physics from California Institute of Technology (1974) and an A.B. in physics from Princeton University (1970)

Biography

Alan Lightman is an American physicist, writer, and social entrepreneur. He currently serves as a Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was one of the first to hold a joint faculty position in both the sciences and the humanities. His work explores the intersection of these fields, particularly the dialogues among science, philosophy, and religion.