To mark the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, SISSA’s Interdisciplinary Laboratory is launching Quantum, a series of four events dedicated to the thinkers and ideas behind one of the most profound conceptual shifts of the twentieth century.
The series opens in Padua on Saturday 10 May 2025 as part of the Galileo Festival, with a conversation inspired by the book Dio gioca a dadi con il mondo. La storia della meccanica quantistica (“God plays dice with the world: the history of quantum mechanics”), written by SISSA professor Giuseppe Mussardo. The event will explore the contributions of key figures such as Planck, Bohr, Schrödinger and Heisenberg in shaping a theory where chance plays a fundamental role — a vision that even Einstein famously resisted.
The second event will take place in Trieste on Sunday 11 May at 4 pm, as part of the science book festival Scienza e Virgola (www.scienzaevirgola.it). It will focus on the book Atomi in famiglia. La mia vita con Enrico Fermi which weaves together the personal story of the renowned physicist with the major events of the twentieth century, as told by his wife, Laura Fermi. Researcher Adele La Rana, who wrote the book’s preface, will present the event.
Also in Trieste, the Link – Media Festival will host the third event on Friday 16 May at 6 pm, with a panel discussion on emerging disruptive technologies. Among the topics will be quantum computers, introduced by SISSA professor Alessandro Silva.
The final event in the series will take place on Saturday 27 September at 6 pm during Trieste Next, with a conversation titled "Al di là dello specchio: la meccanica quantistica tra scienza e immaginario”. Theoretical physicist Vincenzo Barone and science editor Elena Joli will discuss how quantum theory has inspired interpretations well beyond the scientific world, highlighting its cultural resonance.
The Quantum event series is organised by SISSA’s Interdisciplinary Laboratory under the scientific supervision of Giuseppe Mussardo.