Nima Arkani-Hamed

Canadian theoretical physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed is making headlines for his groundbreaking theories on dimensions. Arkani-Hamed is suggesting that instead of four known dimensions, the universe could have as many as 11.

Arkani-Hamed's calculations on particle physics will be tested in 2008, by Switzerland's Large Hadron Collider. If any of Arkani-Hamed's predictions are confirmed, it would mark the first change in the idea of spacetime since the days of Albert Einstein.

Fast Facts

1. Born: 1972
2. Birthplace: Houston, Texas
3. Parents are Iranian physicists
4. 2008: Faculty member, Institute for Advanced Study
5. Former physics professor at Harvard University
6. Education: University of Toronto and University of California, Berkeley

Quote

1. "You can spend ten years of your life and every idea you come up with can be wrong, and that's gratifying in its own way. If this thing turned out to be true, it could be the biggest discovery in science in, say, 300 years."— Nima Arkani-Hamed

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