How Quantum Physics Democratised Music: A Meditation on Physics and Technology

Speaker: Sir Michael Berry

Venue: Lecture Hall 201, Faculty of Science, Western Campus, Zijingang Campus

Abstract: Connections between physics and technological invention and aspects of human life that seem far from science are both unexpected and unexpectedly common. And rather than flowing one way - from physics to gadgets - the connections form an intricate web, linking all aspects of human culture, in ways that frustrate our convenient compartmentalisations and interventions aimed at promoting technology transfer. This lecture will discuss this theme not abstractly but with examples, ranging from music to the colour of gold, and explain how quantum technology helps me do quantum physics.