High school students will have the opportunity to chat with Mikael Chala, author of the book Quantum Physics for Alice (2017), after reading a selection of chapters. The goal is to create an open and enriching dialogue for students about what quantum physics is, and not a mystified version of it.

In his book, Mikael offers an engaging and accessible introduction to the world of quantum physics, presenting complex concepts through a fictional dialogue between Alice and an imaginary mentor. Throughout the book, he clearly explains what subatomic particles are, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, wave-particle duality, and famous thought experiments (such as the double-slit experiment), all supported by everyday examples and easily understood analogies.

Mikael highlights the probabilistic nature of quantum phenomena and how this changed the classical deterministic view. At the same time, he reflects on the philosophical and technological implications of this field, from quantum computers to entanglement. In short, the book succeeds in demystifying quantum physics, making it both understandable and fascinating.

For the meeting with Mikael, students should prioritize reading chapters 7 “Towards a History of the Universe”, 4 “From Theory to Practice” (except for the section on quantum computing), and 5 “Nature Is Quantum, Not Magical”. The author himself recommends reading them in that order.

Participates:

Mikael Chala , Ramón y Cajal researcher in the High Energy Physics (FTAE) group of the Department of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology at the University of Granada.