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The Accidental Universe
ResumeAlan 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.
This segment aired on January 31, 2014.