All the information we will ever obtain from the early universe is imprinted in the spatial correlations of primordial fluctuations at the hot Big Bang. I will explain how an influx of ideas from various areas of fundamental physics is providing us with new conceptual and practical tools to decode the physics of these primordial fluctuations. A thorough understanding of the fluctuations will give us insight into particle physics at high energies and may provide a window into the nature of spacetime itself.
15 Jun 2026
Quantum Cryptography and Computational Thinking
One of the great insights of cryptography and computational complexity is the notion of computationally-bounded algorithms, which allow us to reason about properties that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. Could these ideas also be relevant to quantum information and quantum mechanics? In this talk, we discuss how computational thinking changes the landscape of quantum cryptography: What primitives can we construct, how definitions change, and what are the outstanding open problems. If time permits, we will also discuss new foundational questions on quantum information, motivated by cryptographic applications.
28 May 2026
High-precision gravitational wave physics from worldline quantum field theory
The gravitational two-body problem has been fundamental to physics since Newton's time. With the advent of gravitational wave astronomy and the anticipated third generation of gravitational wave detectors in the 2030s, there is an increasing need for high-precision predictions from Einstein's theory of gravity regarding the encounters of black holes and neutron stars in our universe. Fascinatingly, perturbative quantum field theory methods developed for high-precision predictions of elementary particle scattering at the LHC have proven remarkably efficient for this classical physics problem. This unexpected connection has led to inspiring synergies between collider and gravitational wave physics. In my talk, I will present our approach using a worldline quantum field theory inspired by string theory, which has emerged as the most efficient tool for quantifying the scattering of spinning black holes. We have achieved highest-precision perturbative results for the scattering angle, radiated energy, and recoil of such black hole encounters at the fifth order in Newton's gravitational coupling G. Our four-loop calculations have revealed a new class of mathematical functions related to Calabi-Yau manifolds, previously studied only in mathematics and string theory compactifications, appearing for the first time in a physical context: The radiated energy in gravitational waves at NNNNLO perturbation theory.
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
86
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
81
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