QUIRKY QUANTUM PHYSICS FREE LECTURE SERIES: The Solid State

Here we are, in the 21st century, and yet we are still waiting for the jetpacks and flying cars that were promised in 1950s science fiction movies and 1960s comic books. Those movies and comic books thought that we would have a revolution in energy (needed to have a flying car), while what we got instead was a revolution in information. This information revolution was made possible by the development of semiconductor and solid state physics, which in turn was made possible by the discovery of Quantum Mechanics. James Kakalios is a Taylor Distinguished Professor and Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy. His experimental research ranges from the nano to the neuro, and he is active in outreach and public engagement. In this talk you'll learn how three "simple" ideas, developed 100 years ago, made solar cells, LEDs, transistors, lasers, glow-in-the-dark toys and MRIs possible.
This lecture is part of a free public lecture series. You are welcome to attend a single session or join us for the entire series.
All lectures will be held in the former Bell Museum on the University of Minnesota's East Bank campus and will take place Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m., June 23 through July 28, 2026.
Street parking is available on campus, and several public parking ramps are located nearby.
Details available here: https://cse.umn.edu/physics/summer-quirky-quantum-physics