Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born May 27, 1954, in New York City) is a prominent Canadian-American theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author known for his work on the early universe, dark energy, and the intersection of science and philosophy. He earned a Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics from Carleton University in 1977 and a PhD in physics from MIT in 1982. Krauss held faculty positions at Yale University (1982–2000) and Case Western Reserve University (2000–2008), where he chaired the physics department. In 2008, he joined Arizona State University as a professor and founded the Origins Project, serving as its director until 2018. He is a prolific writer of popular science books, including 'The Fifth Essence,' 'Fear of Physics,' 'A Universe from Nothing,' and 'Atom.' Krauss has been recognized with awards such as the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize (2001) for public outreach. His tenure at ASU ended amid controversy in 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct, leading to his resignation as director of the Origins Project. He has denied the allegations and continues to write and lecture independently.