Instant Expert: Quantum mechanics and the future of physics

New Scientist presents ...

Instant Expert: Quantum mechanics and the future of physics

Saturday 9th November 2024, 10am - 5pm | Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS

Get up to speed on the weird and wonderful world of quantum mechanics in this one-day intensive workshop. Our line-up of six leading quantum experts will explain this famously complex field in easily understandable language; perfect for those curious about the quantum but who may not have a science background.

Quantum theory is our best description of the microscopic world of atoms and their constituents. It has given us lasers, computers and nuclear reactors, and even tells us how the sun shines and why the ground beneath our feet is solid.

Yet the quantum world defies our everyday experiences – it is a place where objects can be in two places at once, influence each other at opposite sides of the cosmos and nothing is as it seems until you measure it. Why is the quantum world so strange? Where does it begin and end? And what does this mean for the bedrock of reality?

In attempting to address such frontier questions, physicists have come to realise that the quantum world promises exciting new technologies: the ability to communicate with absolute security, computers more powerful than anything built before and even quantum teleportation.

The six presentations at our Instant Expert will reveal:

• The core principles of quantum mechanics, including wave-particle duality, superposition, and entanglement.

• The groundbreaking experiments that shaped the field and continue to challenge our classical understanding of the universe.

• The real-world applications of quantum mechanics, from leading-edge technologies like quantum computing to the future of materials science.

• The philosophical implications of quantum mechanics, such as the ‘Many Worlds’ interpretation.

NEW EVENT FORMAT FOR 2024

We are always seeking ways to make our events more inclusive and to find new ways to deliver value to you. For 2024 we have reduced the ticket prices and introduced a new ticket option “super early bird” for our Instant Expert events. An Instant Expert ticket no longer includes refreshments or lunch, but the agenda includes a lunch break and there are many great eateries close to the venue to choose from. But what doesn’t change is that each event will continue to feature six expert speakers sharing their knowledge and latest research on the event topic. We hope you like the changes we have made to the event format for 2024, and as always we welcome your feedback.

Talks and speakers:

The origins of quantum mechanics
James Millen, an experimental quantum scientist at King's College, and Director of King's Quantum, multidisciplinary research initiative.

The seemingly simple experiment of heating a black body and observing how it emits heat led to a crisis in physics at the end of the 19th Century. To fix the equations to match the experiment, Max Planck introduced the theory of ‘quanta’ – that radiation consists of quanta with specific energies determined by a new fundamental constant. Join James Millen as he reveals how this insight laid the groundwork for the whole of modern physics.

Dualities in Quantum Physics
Alejandra Castro, associate professor at DAMTP.

In physics and mathematics the discovery of a duality is powerful and useful. A duality can mean that two different aspects of nature are connected mathematically. A duality can also give two different points of view when looking at the same object. In this masterclass, I will introduce the concept of duality and give examples (old and new) that shape our understanding of the quantum world. I will illustrate how we think of many modern concepts in this way, covering topics such as strongly coupled quantum field theories and quantum gravity.

Dualities in Quantum Physics Quantum Sensing & Metrology: The next frontier

Prof Jan-Theodoor (JT) Janssen FREng FinstP FIET is the Chief Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and a member of the executive team

The invention of quantum mechanics is now nearly a century old, and you would have thought that most its applications would have been discovered. Nothing could be further from the truth. This field of research is more active than ever before with most of the attention going to quantum computing: a new form of computing based on the principles of quantum mechanics and is predicted to outperform any form of classical computing. Although the realisation of a useful quantum computer is still some years away, there are applications of quantum mechanics which are here and now and extremely exciting. Using delicate quantum effects, we can make sensors which allow us to measure signals beyond classical limits, opening up a whole new world for us to explore with huge potential impact for our prosperity and our quality of life. In this talk I will try to explain some of the weird and wonderful aspects of quantum mechanics and discuss a number of exciting sensing applications which result from it.

Three more exciting talks to be announced soon...

Who should attend?

This masterclass is designed for everyone who wants to leave this Instant Expert feeling confident discussing quantum mechanics and inspired by its potential to revolutionise the future of physics and beyond!

• Become an expert in one day

• Informal set-up, meet like minded people

• Open your mind, be inspired

• Unique chance to ask your burning questions to our experts

What's included in your ticket:

In-depth and engaging talks from six leading scientists

Ask-an-expert Question Time session

Your chance to meet our six speakers and New Scientist host

Exclusive on-the-day New Scientist subscription deal, book and merchandise offers Booking information:

The event will be held at the Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS

Doors will open at 9:15am, with talks commencing at 10am sharp. The event will finish at 5pm.

We require the name of each person attending - please ensure this is provided at the time of booking. If you need to change the name of an attendee, please notify us as soon as possible: [email protected]

Eventbrite will email you your ticket(s) immediately after purchase. Please remember to bring your ticket(s) with you as you'll need it to gain entry. We can scan tickets from a print out, or off the screen of a phone / tablet / smartwatch.

The schedule / exact running order for the day will be confirmed closer to the event, and will be emailed to all ticket holders.

Lunch will NOT be provided at this event. Visitors are welcome to bring their own food, or purchase lunch at one of the many establishments in the surrounding area.

Should you require details about disabled access, please contact us at: [email protected]

Tickets are non-transferable to any other New Scientist event.

All tickets are non-refundable.

New Scientist reserves the right to alter the event and its line-up, or cancel the event. In the unlikely event of cancellation, all tickets will be fully refunded. New Scientist Ltd will not be liable for any additional expenses incurred by ticket holders in relation to the event.

Tickets are subject to availability and are only available in advance through Eventbrite.

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