Celebrating the centenary of the quantum revolution

The encounter dedicated to "Critical Natural Philosophy III" was held on 8 February at the Auditorium of Università della Svizzera italiana. This public conference, organised by the Faculty of Informatics, celebrated the centenary of 1925, a pivotal year for quantum mechanics, with participation from researchers in Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. Approximately one hundred people were in attendance.

The day, which was attended by a large audience and the media, began with the official opening by the Deputy Mayor of Lugano, Roberto Badaracco, and an introduction by Marc Langheinrich, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics. The opening was further enhanced by a moving musical interlude performed by OSI violinists Hans Liviabella and Ekaterina Valiulina. The initial conference session showcased many leading scholars in the field. Jürg Fröhlich (ETH Zurich) opened the series of talks with an overview of the quantum revolution of 1925, followed by Flavio Del Santo (University of Geneva), who explored the rebirth of quantum mechanics in Italy in the historical-scientific context. The talks by Luca Molinari and Luigi Galgani, both from the University of Milan, focused on the beauty of light and Planck's law with zero point energy.

After a short musical interlude, the second session resumed with talks dedicated to modern applications of quantum mechanics. Fabrizio Castelli (University of Milan) guided the audience through the mysteries of quantum theory, while Nicola Piovella (University of Milan) illustrated experiments on ultra-cold atoms and their applications. Andrea Smirne explored the theme of non-locality and Bell's inequalities, which are fundamental concepts for understanding the nature of quantum reality. The cycle of talks ended with Maria Bondani (University of Insubria) reflecting on new quantum technologies and the questions that remain open for the future of science.

The celebration of the 1925 centenary has highlighted how quantum physics is now an integral part of our daily lives, from emerging technologies to the foundations of scientific knowledge.

The report by Il Quotidiano RSI is available below. (Italian only)