Claudia de Rham is a Professor of Theoretical Physics in the Department of Physics working at the interface between quantum field theory, particle physics, gravity and cosmology. More details on her research can be found on her Imperial Profile page

See below for some of claudia's engagement activities. 

claudia's engagement activities

TV, Discovery Channel & Podcasts
Radio
Major Newspapers & Magazines
Digital news & Blogs
Engagement in other Languages

Brazil - Teoria “edita” ideias de Einstein para explicar a Energia Escura,  Portugal - Zap, Finland - Tekniikan Maailma, Italy - Focustech, Lithuania Delfi, Norway abcnyheter, Romania Descopera, Sweden PopularAstronomi

claudia's videos

The Dark Energy Delusion

In The Dark Energy Delusion, theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham explores the mysteries of gravity and the universe's accelerated expansion. She discusses Einstein's theory of general relativity and questions conventional views by addressing the problem of dark energy and proposing an alternative perspective on gravity’s reach. De Rham takes the audience through the cosmos, questioning whether gravity truly has an infinite reach and highlighting recent advancements in theoretical physics. She emphasizes the importance of upcoming experiments that could reshape our understanding of the universe.

The Dark Energy Delusion

The Dark Energy Delusion

CBC Ideas & Perimeter Institute Public Lecture

In The Dark Energy Delusion, theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham explores the mysteries of gravity and the universe's accelerated expansion. She discusses Einstein's theory of general relativity and questions conventional views by addressing the problem of dark energy and proposing an alternative perspective on gravity’s reach. De Rham takes the audience through the cosmos, questioning whether gravity truly has an infinite reach and highlighting recent advancements in theoretical physics. She emphasizes the importance of upcoming experiments that could reshape our understanding of the universe.

The Woman Who Broke Gravity

The Woman Who Broke Gravity

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Claudia de Rham is a prominent theoretical physicist and a professor at Imperial College London, renowned for her pioneering research in modifying gravity theories. With a strong background in cosmology and gravitational physics, Claudia has significantly advanced our understanding of the universe’s fundamental forces.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b9...

Gravity Is the Law That Makes Everything Happen

Gravity Is the Law That Makes Everything Happen

Quanta Magazine interview

The theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham explains why gravity is so fundamental to our understanding of everything in the universe. Read the full interview here. Video by Philipp Ammon & Jennifer Hsu for Quanta Magazine.

Beyond Einstein: Gravitational Rainbows

Beyond Einstein: Gravitational Rainbows

World Science Festival with Brian Greene and Claudia de Rham

BEYOND EINSTEIN explores the wondrous implications of gravity pushed to the extreme.

Gravitational Rainbows: Much as a gentle mist can split light waves into beautiful rainbows, dark energy may split gravitational waves into deeply revealing gravitational rainbows. Leading researcher Claudia de Rham joins Brian Greene to explore this compelling possibility. This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Participants: Claudia de Rham Moderator: Brian Greene

Solving the secrets of gravity

Solving the secrets of gravity

Royal Institution lecture by Prof. Claudia de Rham

A world-renowned physicist seeks gravity’s true nature, and finds wisdom in embracing its force in her life.

New Scientist interview - The search for quantum gravity

The search for quantum gravity

New Scientist interview

Claudia de Rham has spent much of her life dedicated to exploring the limits and true nature of gravity. As she describes in her new book, The Beauty of Falling, de Rham trained to be a pilot and then an astronaut. To demonstrate gravity’s effects, New Scientist took her indoor skydiving at iFLY London, explaining how gravity acts on every cell of your body in the same way. Yet, gravity still isn’t fully understood. It doesn’t fit into the mould of the other fundamental forces, and quantum theory can’t yet explain it. For her part, de Rham has sought to make progress by thinking deeply about gravitons, the hypothetical carrier of the force of gravity. Each of the fundamental forces is carried by an equivalent "boson" particle – some have zero mass, others have a very small mass. De Rham wanted to know: what is the graviton's mass?

Learn more ➤ https://www.newscientist.com/article/...

On the Nature of the Graviton

Nature of the Graviton - TEDxCLESalon

Public Talk at TEDxCLESalon in celebration of the 100 years of General Relativity

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community

EPFL public talk

EPFL public talk

Campus Lecture de Claudia de Rham (PH’01) : « À la poursuite de la gravité »

Que sait-on de la gravitation aujourd’hui ? Comment influence-t-elle notre quotidien et notre environnement ? Lors de cette « Campus Lecture » donnée le 30 septembre 2024 au Forum Rolex Learning Center, Claudia de Rham, chercheuse et professeure à l’Imperial College de Londres, a présenté ce que l’on sait aujourd’hui de la gravitation et comment son parcours personnel l'a menée à figurer parmi les chercheurs les plus influents de la dernière décennie dans le domaine de la physique fondamentale. La gravitation est l’un des phénomènes fondamentaux qui régit l’Univers, mais elle reste aujourd’hui encore profondément mystérieuse. Si la physique contemporaine parvient un jour à percer ses secrets, ce sera l’une des plus grandes révolutions du savoir scientifique. Lauréate d'un Alumni Award EPFL en 2017, Claudia de Rham raconte dans son ouvrage « La beauté de chute » ce que l’on sait aujourd’hui de ce phénomène et comment les plus grands esprits de la physique s'y ont dédiés. Elle y confie également les hauts et les bas de son parcours personnel, le chemin difficile au terme duquel elle est devenue l’une des physiciennes les plus renommées au monde.

Talks at Google

Talks at Google

Claudia de Rham at Google with Zara Brownless

Claudia de Rham discusses about a life in pursuit of gravity with google moderator and behavioral scientist Zara Brownless.

Cosmology's Latest Puzzle

Cosmology's Latest Puzzle

The Hubble Tension featuring Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess, Daniel Mortlock and Claudia de Rham

Measurements of a key parameter in cosmology do not agree. Is this the sign of exciting new physics, do we need to rethink some aspects of cosmology or is it just a measurement error? In this film, Nobel Prize winning physicist Adam Reiss, and George Efstathiou (who was the scientist chose to give the cosmology results for ESA's Planck Probe) are joined by astrophysicist Daniel Mortlock and theoretical cosmologist Claudia de Rham to discuss this latest puzzle for cosmology.

IAI - 3 body problem

IAI - 3 body problem

Theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham responds to Netflix's '3 Body Problem' during IAI festival

The Institute of Arts and Ideas, Hay-in-Wye festival

Abdus Salam and the Fundamental Forces of Nature

Abdus Salam and the Fundamental Forces of Nature

Professor Brian Cox leads celebration of Abdus Salam’s legacy to physics

A special lecture hosted by Imperial Theoretical Physics and Imperial Institutional Events and chaired by Claudia de Rham to celebrate the naming of the Abdus Salam Library at Imperial. We welcome Professor Atish Dabholkar, the current Director of ICTP in Trieste, Italy, and Professor Brian Cox CBE, renowned science communicator as our key speakers. 

CBC's ideas with Nahlah Ayed

CBC's ideas with Nahlah Ayed

Unlocking the Invisible | Claudia de Rham's Quest to Understand Gravity

Most people have a basic understanding of gravity as the fundamental force that keeps us tethered to the Earth. They've likely even heard the fabled story of Isaac Newton’s inspiration for the theory: an apple falling from a tree. But few people have spent as much time grappling with gravity as Claudia de Rham, Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London. In her recently released book, The Beauty of Falling: A Life in Pursuit of Gravity, de Rham recounts not only her scientific investigations of gravity and the limits of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, but also her more practical encounters with gravity – as a diver, a pilot, and an astronaut candidate. In August 2024, Perimeter hosted an in-depth conversation with Claudia and Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC’s Ideas, followed by an audience Q&A. Through personal stories and scientific insights, de Rham shares her lifelong fascination with gravity and the relentless pursuit to uncover its secrets

The Dark Side of the Universe

The Dark Side of the Universe

Colloque Wright - Public talk in Geneva in celebration of Gravity (in French)

Conférence de Claudia de Rham, professeure au Imperial College de Londres et à la Faculté de sciences naturelles, Département de physique. La détection récente d’ondes gravitationnelles représente une nouvelle ère pour la science et une fenêtre ouverte sur notre Univers. Mais que savons-nous au juste sur le comportement de notre Univers et de la structure de l’espace aux échelles cosmologiques? Lors de cette conférence, il s’agira de voyager jusqu’aux extrémités de l’Univers observable et d’essayer d’éclairer les comportements de la gravitation. Il sera aussi question du rapport de la gravitation avec l’énergie sombre. Plusieurs observations ont trahi l’existence de cette dernière; elles montrent que l’Univers croît plus rapidement qu’il ne le devrait. Quelque chose de puissant s’oppose à la gravitation, quelque chose que les physiciens ont nommé l’énergie sombre. Comprendre la véritable nature de cette dernière, et son rapport avec la gravitation, devrait permettre de dessiner un scénario plus précis sur l’avenir de notre Univers lequel prendra peut-être la forme d’un grand déchirement.

Questioning Newton and Einstein

Origin Scholars - Questioning Newton and Einstein

Origin Scholars Public Lectures given by Claudia de Rham

On the expansion of the Universe

Into The Impossible Podcast

Brian Keating's Into The Impossible Podcast with Claudia de Rham

The acceleration of the expansion of the universe is one of the fundamental questions in cosmology. Scientists believe that dark energy is driving and accelerating the expansion; however, there is a discrepancy between the predicted amount of dark energy in the universe and our theoretical calculations based on the properties of fundamental particles. To get to the bottom of this, today's guest, Professor Claudia de Rham, proposed a new theory of "massive gravity" that could solve this “impossible” riddle.  Join us as we explore the true nature of gravity and the beauty of falling!

IAI Mystery in the making

IAI Mystery in the making

Harry Cliff, Claudia de Rham and Avshalom Elitzur

Debate at the Hay-in-Wye Festival Institute of Arts and Ideas.

We have the impression that science unravels the mysteries of the universe. But with every mystery solved, a new mystery emerges. The Big Bang gave us an explanation for the expanding universe but left the mystery of how it came about. Quantum mechanics accounted for the strange behaviour of subatomic particles, but led to the puzzle of its conflict with relativity. Dark energy made sense of an accelerating universe but led to the mystery of why we have no evidence for it. Is there a danger that we are making a fundamental mistake in imagining science can eradicate mystery, and do we need to think of science differently as a consequence? 

 

Do we need to abandon the idea that science has the potential to provide a complete explanation?  Should we not expect science to eradicate mystery and instead simply require that its theories work well enough for our current aims and purposes?  Or is the ability to overcome mystery essential to the effective operation of science and a core idea responsible for its success? 

IAI - Science and mysteries

IAI - Science and mysteries

Theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham on how science represents reality

The Institute of Arts and Ideas, Hay-in-Wye festival

Mindscape podcast

Mindscape podcast

Claudia de Rham on the preposterous Universe podcast with Sean Carroll

Blog post with audio player, show notes, and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/...

Einstein's theory of general relativity has been our best understanding of gravity for over a century, withstanding a variety of experimental challenges of ever-increasing precision. But we have to be open to the possibility that general relativity -- even at the classical level, aside from any questions of quantum gravity -- isn't the right theory of gravity. Such speculation is motivated by cosmology, where we have a good model of the universe but one with a number of loose ends. Claudia de Rham has been a leader in exploring how gravity could be modified in cosmologically interesting ways, and we discuss the current state of the art as well as future prospects.

Current and future women luminaries

Current and future women luminaries

How do we communicate with the Universe?

Hosted by Professor Alice P. Gast, this conversation will be with Professor Claudia de Rham, Professor of Theoretical Physics and Heba Jemal, 2nd Year Physics student. Throughout our history, we have gathered information from the Universe that surrounds us through the light it emits. We have seen the Universe through our own eyes and instruments. The direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015 has marked the beginning of a new era for science where we are now able to hear the Universe and communicate with it through a new channel. But how much do we actually know about gravity and how gravitational waves propagate? In this event we will discuss how gravitational waves can be used as a privileged channel of communication with the secret dark components of our Universe.

Blavatnik Awards UK

Blavatnik Awards UK

Meet the 2020 Blavatnik Awards UK Physical Sciences & Engineering Honorees

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK recognized three outstanding physicists in 2020. Physical Sciences & Engineering Laureate Prof. Claudia de Rham, is a theoretical physicist from Imperial College London. She has constructed a viable theory for massive gravity that could hold the answers to many important questions in physics. 2020 Finalists in Physical Sciences & Engineering include Amaury Triaud, PhD an astrophysicist at the University of Birmingham and Prof. Ian Chapman from the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Dr. Triaud searches for exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than the Sun—and has made major contributions to the discovery of a planetary system known as TRAPPIST-1. Prof. Chapman is a plasma physicist and an international leader in developing renewable energy from nuclear fusion, the same mechanism that powers the Sun and other stars. He also leads the UK’s new national fusion energy project, as CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Scientific Sense podcast

Scientific Sense podcast

Gill Eapen hosts Claudia de Rham on the mysteries of gravity

Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Claudia de Rham is professor is a Theoretical physicist at Imperial College London. She develops and tests cosmological theories dealing with a wide variety of concepts, from the early universe and dark energy to the behavior of gravity. She has been particularly involved in developing a new theory of massive gravity concerning gravitons, which are hypothetical particles responsible for transmitting gravitational forces. This work has profound implications for the area of research now dubbed ‘beyond Einstein gravity’, which includes exploring new types of particles in the universe and connecting the theories of gravity with current and next-generation astrophysics experiments. Please subscribe to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificS...

Testing General Relativity

Origin Scholars - Testing General Relativity

Origin Scholars Public Lectures given by Claudia de Rham on Testing General Relativity