Skip to main content

Krauss talks about 'Nothing' on Colbert


Stephen Colbert
June 21, 2012

ASU's Lawrence Krauss, a theoretical physicist, appeared on "The Colbert Report" June 21 to discuss his book, "A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather than Nothing." (Watch the episode online.)

The Colbert Report is a satirical late night television program, starring political humorist Stephen Colbert, that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central.

Krauss' book offers provocative, revelatory answers to the most basic philosophical questions of existence. It was on the New York Times Best Sellers list for nonfiction within a week of its release.

An ASU Foundation Professor in the School of Space and Earth Exploration and the Department of Physics, Krauss reviews the remarkable recent developments in our understanding of the evolution of the Universe, the subject of his own scientific research over the past 25 years, and argues that the current understanding of physics suggests that the Universe could have naturally evolved from nothing.

“The Universe is more remarkable than we could ever have imagined, and our recent discoveries underscore that everything we know about the Universe is consistent with the equally remarkable possibility that it arose from nothing without any supernatural assistance,” Krauss said.

In addition to being a professor at ASU, Krauss is the director of the Origins Project, which explores key questions about our origins, who we are and where we came from, and then holds open forums to encourage public participation.

Krauss is internationally known for his work in theoretical physics – he is the only physicist to receive major awards from all three U.S. physics societies: the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Physics and the American Association of Physics Teachers. In May, Krauss was awarded the 2012 Public Service Award from the National Science Board for his contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States.

He has authored more than 300 scientific publications and nine books, including the international best seller "The Physics of Star Trek" and "Quantum Man," which was awarded the 2011 Book of the Year by Physics World magazine.