Frontiers in Astrophysics Lecture Series

2011 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate

The Theory of Everything...Still Searching?

LeFrak Theater

Ticket Info

$10 (Simulcast)

Please Note: The main theater is sold out but you can still buys tickets for a live simulcast at the Museum of this popular event hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium.

Can the entire universe be explained with a single, unifying theory?  This is perhaps the most fundamental question in all of science, and it may also be the most controversial. Albert Einstein was among the first to envision a unified theory that could account for the behavior of all matter and energy in the cosmos, but a definitive solution has eluded physicists to this day. As the 21st century progresses, “string theory” remains the leading candidate to be the “theory of everything”—although some have come to question whether string theorists are on the right track. Still others doubt that a “theory of everything” exists at all—and consider the search for such a theory an outdated philosophy of our search for cosmic truths.

Join Director of the Hayden Planetarium Neil deGrasse Tyson as he hosts and moderates six of the world's leading voices in this great scientific debate.

Dr. Katherine Freese, professor of physics at the University of Michigan

Dr. Jim Gates, professor of physics at the University of Maryland-College Park

Dr. Janna Levin, professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College

Dr. Marcello Gleiser, professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College

Dr. Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University

Dr. Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

The late Dr. Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific and influential authors of our time, was a dear friend and supporter of the American Museum of Natural History. In his memory, the Hayden Planetarium is honored to host the annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate— generously endowed by relatives, friends, and admirers of Isaac Asimov and his work—bringing the finest minds in the world to the Museum each year to debate pressing questions on the frontier of scientific discovery. Proceeds from ticket sales of the Isaac Asimov Memorial Debates benefit the scientific and educational programs of the Hayden Planetarium.