From space travel and the origins of life, to quantum foundations and extraterrestrial megastructures; mathematical physicist Freeman Dyson was a radical scientist. Based on a new biography, Hamish Johnston delves into the life and scientific legacy of the unorthodox genius, who was born 100 years ago.

His paper, Time without end: Physics and biology in an open universe, is a classic in truly big thinking. Just read the text within the equations. If we can think and engineer our way out of the proton decay heat death of the universe, biological immortality is child's play. To read more, click here.