January 2026 Thinking Beyond: From the Quantum World to the Multiverse

Is the existence of a multiverse plausible? Our understanding of quantum mechanics has allowed extremely rapid and unexpected advances in technology, from modern computers to nuclear fission and fusion. Yet when we apply quantum mechanics to the theory of gravity, the combination does, indeed, make the strange and surprising prediction of a cosmic multiverse.

Matthew Kleban is Chair of the Physics Department at New York University, where he explores cosmology, elementary particle physics, and string theory. His research focuses on the quantum physics of black holes, and the origin and ultimate fate of the universe. Reading Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time” as a boy inspired Kleban to study theoretical physics to try to understand the origin of the cosmos. His scientific contributions include pioneering work on black hole singularities, the subtleties of late-time cosmology, and the effects of cosmic bubble collisions.