The Accidental Universe

Alan Lightman is an MIT professor and writer with a new book that probes deep questions about the known and unknown universe, including the most vexing riddle: what ultimately gives our lives meaning?

Lightman is the author of several books, including a novel called "Mr G", which explored how belief in god might be compatible with a belief in science. His latest book is a collection of fascinating essays called, "The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew".

Lightman has been writing provocatively about the intersection of science and religion for a long time. And he does it from an interesting perspective — straddling, as he does, two worlds. He's a theoretical physicist and a writer -- the first MIT professor to receive a dual faculty appointment in both science and the humanities.