The New Yorker had a great
article by Benjamin Wallace-Wells on physicist Garret Lisi. This potentially groundbreaking physicist also happens to be a huge surfer and snowboarder. He checked out out of Academic life some years back, contemplated the rules of the Universe when he wasn't
suring and stepped forward with some physicist community rattling theories. These things take a long time to prove, or disprove, but he's certainly an interesting guy and there is just enough Physics in the article to suck you into that world too.