String Theory and The Dark Sector
- Date
- 20 May 2026, 16:00–17:30
- Location
- Ångström Laboratory, Eva von Bahr
- Type
- Lecture
- Lecturer
- Cumrun Vafa, Harvard University
- Organiser
- Centre for Geometry and Physics
- Contact person
- Michele Del Zotto
One of the world’s leading researchers in string theory, Cumrun Vafa, visits Uppsala for a popular science lecture on the universe’s dark sector. With his engaging and accessible style, he makes advanced physics understandable to anyone interested in science—no prior knowledge required. Welcome to join us for a lecture to be remembered!
The dark sector — comprising dark energy and dark matter — has remained a profound mystery for decades. In this talk, Cumrun Vafa will review this subject and show how string theory naturally leads to a predictive framework for a unified dark sector. He will also discuss how these string-theoretic predictions align with exciting recent cosmological observations.
When Vafa last lectured in Uppsala in the summer of 2019, in connection with the String Math conference, he drew a large audience to the University Main Building. Many people from outside academia attended this open lecture, where he truly lived up to his reputation as one of the world’s finest popular science speakers.
About Cumrun Vafa
Cumrun Vafa is the Head of the Physics Department at Harvard University. He is the Timken University Professor and he does research and teaches theoretical physics there since 1985. Born in Iran in 1960, he moved to the US for higher education where he received his B.S. in math and physics from MIT before moving to Princeton University, where he received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics.
Professor Vafa is world-renowned for his groundbreaking work in string theory and the mathematical technology needed to explore this field. He is one of the founders of the duality revolution in string theory which has reshaped our understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe.
Honorary doctor of Uppsala University, Professor Vafa has received numerous prizes and recognitions for his work on theoretical physics including the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, the 2008 Dirac Medal of ICTP and prizes for his work on mathematical physics from American Mathematical Society, as well as American Physical Society. He is a member of National Academy of Sciences as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.