b. 1944
Christopher John Isham is a British theoretical physicist and philosopher of physics, emeritus professor at Imperial College London, known for foundational work on quantum gravity and the philosophy of quantum mechanics. He developed topos-theoretic approaches to quantum theory and contributed to the decoherent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics. He has also engaged substantively with the theology of creation, exploring how quantum cosmology bears on questions of divine action and creation ex nihilo.
Pioneered the application of topos theory to the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum gravity
Contributed to the consistent (decoherent) histories formulation of quantum mechanics
Developed canonical approaches to quantum gravity, including work on the Wheeler-DeWitt equation
Analyzed the problem of time in quantum gravity
Engaged seriously with the theological implications of quantum cosmology and creation