Joseph Conlon

Joseph Conlon is professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oxford and a teaching fellow of New College, where he has been since 2012. His scientific research ranges across string theory, particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics and his 75 scientific papers include foundational contributions to these subjects. He was a three-times British junior chess champion; a precocious childhood led to him finishing his first mathematics degree at 18, done part-time along schoolwork. Along with his physics research, he seeks to communicate the transcendently deep and beautiful ideas of physics in the language they deserve. He is the author of Why String Theory? (CRC, 2015), a defense of the broad and enduring intellectual value of string theory, and the upcoming Origins (Oneworld, 2024), a verse account of the early universe. Photo credit Philippa Sims.