Does Sabrina Pasterski’s holographic theory make her the next Einstein?

New Scientist · Miriam Frankel · 2026-10-28 16:00 UTC

Often described as a genius, physicist Sabrina Pasterski built and flew her own plane by the age of 16 and is now developing a mind-bending idea that could finally unify gravity and quantum theory

It is a windy day in London when I meet physicist Sabrina Pasterski on the sidelines of a conference – which turns out to be a problem. We had agreed to chat in a tent, but the canvas is flapping so loudly that we can barely hear each other. In the end, we retreat to a nearby church hall.

But then again, maybe this ad-hoc venue is strangely fitting. As a choir sings tunefully about heaven a few doors down, Pasterski tells me that her work is all about the celestial sphere – and has something in common with the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity, the idea that God is three persons in one.

“Duality is almost like the Trinity,” Pasterski tells me, referring to one of the principles at the core of her work. “I'm not religious, but I was raised Catholic. It’s the sense that there can be different manifestations of something equivalent.”

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