To what extent can we truly understand what happens in the most fundamental depths of nature? And how is it possible that the mechanisms of life—like photosynthesis—take advantage of quantum effects that we still struggle to comprehend? These and other questions will be at the heart of a unique conversation between two key figures in contemporary physics.

Quantum physics has not only revolutionized our understanding of the universe, but has also opened surprising avenues in computing, cryptography, biology, and philosophy. In this discussion, Alexandra Olaya-Castro, an expert in quantum phenomena in biological systems and recipient of the Maxwell Medal, will speak with Časlav Brukner, a leading quantum information theorist and pioneer in reflecting on reality and causality in the quantum realm.

Moderated by Lorena Sánchez, a journalist with The Conversation , the two will explore the most fascinating dilemmas of quantum physics from complementary perspectives: fundamental theory, the limits of knowledge, and the entanglement between science and life. It will be a space to question what we take for granted, open up new hypotheses, and discover how quantum physics not only describes the world but also redefines it. This is an encounter for those who seek to think beyond the visible, and for those who know that quantum physics is, above all, an invitation to imagine what exists.

As Antonio Muñoz Molina says: “Contrary to what is usually thought, imagining what does not exist does not require much effort. What is difficult, and on many occasions completely impossible, is to truly imagine what does exist, in all its immense complexity, in all its strangeness and implausibility, in its disorder, in its perpetual confusion” (Imagining what exists, Babelia March 26, 2022).

Moderated by:

Lorena Sánchez , a science journalist with over twenty years of experience in science communication, has been editor-in-chief of QUO magazine since 2011, and is the Science and Technology editor at The Conversation.

Participates:

Alexandra Olaya-Castro , a Colombian theoretical physicist and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London, is internationally recognized for her leadership in biomolecular quantum physics. In 2016, she received the Maxwell Medal from the Institute of Physics for her contributions to understanding quantum effects in photosynthesis systems.

Časlav Brukner , a Serbian-Austrian quantum physicist, is a professor at the University of Vienna, scientific director of the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) in Vienna, and a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2021. His research focuses on the foundations of quantum physics, information theory, and quantum causality, and he has received awards such as the Marko Jarić Prize (2015) and the Gravity Research Foundation Essay Award (2019).