2025 marks the centennial of quantum physics. No theory of physics has ever had such spectacular success. In this talk given at the 2025 Cambridge Alumni Festival, Professor Frank Verstraete and Céline Broeckaert explore the fundamental principles of quantum physics and discuss its wide-ranging applications.
From ignorance about the structure of matter, quantum mechanics has brought us, in less than a century, to an understanding so broad, powerful, and precise that virtually all contemporary technology relies on it. The theory has enabled us to make sense of phenomena far beyond anything technology has yet been able to exploit. And all this, says Verstraete, despite the fact that nobody truly understands quantum physics.
Frank Verstraete is Leigh Trapnell Professor of Quantum Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. He and Céline Broeckaert are also the co-authors of Why nobody understands quantum physics, published by Pan Macmillan.
Read more about Frank Verstraete's work in this feature article.