In this interview, journalist and essayist Marta Peirano speaks with theoretical physicist Juan Ignacio Cirac, one of the world's leading experts in quantum computing and optics. The encounter offers an exceptional opportunity to delve, from an accessible and critical perspective, into the advances and challenges of quantum physics in the 21st century.

Cirac has been a pioneer in developing theoretical models that underpin quantum computing, the simulation of complex quantum systems, and the transmission of information using atoms and photons. His research has opened fundamental avenues for the technology of the future, from quantum cryptography to secure communication networks.

Marta Peirano, author of books such as The enemy knows the system (2019) and a specialist in the link between technology, power, and surveillance, will take the conversation beyond the laboratory: What are the social, ethical, and political implications of the quantum revolution? Who will control the global quantum infrastructure? What role does light—the field of study of quantum optics—play as a carrier of information and as a metaphor for knowledge?

The interview will address fundamental concepts such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum teleportation, while also considering the questions that permeate our present: How is power constructed in a world defined by advanced science? What role should citizens and communication play in the debate on emerging technologies?

What is the optics of quantum mechanics? It is more than a scientific question: it is an invitation to look at reality from new perspectives, to illuminate the invisible and to think about the future from the confluence between physics and critical thinking.

Moderated by:

Marta PeiranoA journalist, writer, and lecturer specializing in technology, power, and surveillance. She has been a columnist for El País, eldiario.es y La Sextaand is the author of essays such as The enemy knows the system y Against the future.

Participates:

Juan Ignacio Cirac, Spanish physicist and director of the Theoretical Division of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany. Pioneer in quantum computing, quantum optics and simulation of quantum systems.