He received his B.S. from Caltech in 1962, and Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1965. His primary areas of research include Einstein's general theory of relativity and astrophysics, with special interest in gravitons, black holes and wormholes. He is perhaps best known for his controversial theory that wormholes can conceivably be used for time travel. He is also a co-founder of the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) Project.
In 1994, he published a book for non-scientists Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (Norton Publishers) for which he received numerous awards.