Physics for Future was a unique event which highlighted the multidisciplinary societal and technological advances led by fundamental and applied physics that integrate the megatrends of Quantum, AI, HPC/Data, Health, and Sustainability. The event brought together leading researchers, technologists, politicians, students, and enthusiasts of future technologies and scientific advancements in STEM fields for two days full of exciting recent developments and deep discussions.

If you missed the event, we got you covered! The Physics for Future experience extends beyond the conference. A three-episode podcast is already available on all major platforms.

Additionally, for the next 10 weeks, videos of the Physics for Future speakers and of university research will be released weekly (see below!)

In this premiere episode:

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Prof. Dr. William D. Phillips reveals how he and his team use lasers to cool atoms to the coldest temperatures in the universe — colder than deep space!

These ultra-cold atoms are essential for building atomic clocks, which power smartphones, GPS, and much more. Prof. Dr. Phillips also shares what drew him to physics, how to stay motivated when research gets tough, and why we’re now living through the Second Quantum Revolution — a future so strange, even Einstein couldn’t have predicted it.

In this episode, we meet Deniz Avşar, a PhD researcher whose work blends physics, robotics, and materials science to tackle a fascinating challenge: how can robots safely move among us — without disrupting the world we see?

Deniz is creating invisible patterns, similar to QR codes, that only robots can detect. These subtle signals guide robotic systems through human spaces — safely and beautifully. Her mission: take these tools from the lab into the real world, without making our cities and homes look like science fiction sets.

Deniz also shares her childhood dream of becoming a “science woman” who could discover a formula to keep her loved ones young and healthy forever. Her story reminds us that science starts with imagination.

In this episode, we meet Prof. Peter Zoller, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Innsbruck, and one of the world’s leading thinkers in quantum computing. Quantum physics, he explains, is a paradoxical and fascinating language — one you don’t just learn, but eventually begin to think in. It’s this mindset that fuels the next big shift in technology: quantum computers.

Zoller shares his vision of a future where quantum computing transforms both science and society — becoming a tool for discovery, a driver of new economies, and a bridge between basic research and real-world applications. In this future, quantum and classical computers will work together, not in competition. But his journey into science started as a kid in a library, leafing through books on how to build radios.

Tess Smidt, Assistant Professor at MIT, is fascinated by how we represent the physical world to computers — so that computers can help us better understand it. Her work focuses on using machine learning to design materials that could lead to low-power electronics, better energy storage, and new drugs.

As a teenager, Tess dreamed of becoming a particle physicist, reading everything about the Large Hadron Collider. Later, in graduate school, she shifted focus to atoms and materials, where she discovered the limitations of existing models — and the potential of machine learning.

Tess believes research is full of highs and lows, and that stepping away from a problem can bring clarity. She values having a life outside the lab and encourages young researchers to stay curious, embrace their own perspective, and be open to others — because solving hard problems requires many different minds.

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Carlos Bustamante, biophysicist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, who has pioneered a new way of studying life—one molecule at a time.

Traditionally, biology has studied large samples, producing results based on averages. But averages can be misleading. By observing and manipulating single molecules, Bustamante and his team are uncovering the inner workings of molecular machines—and giving us a clearer, more precise view of life at its most fundamental level.

He also shares his personal journey. As a young student, he thought scientists were born geniuses—until he discovered that science is a craft, one you get better at through practice, setbacks, and critical reflection.

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Max Welling, Research Chair in Machine Learning at the University of Amsterdam and co-founder of a materials design startup.

Max’s work explores how artificial intelligence can revolutionise the discovery of new materials — for better batteries, more effective drugs, carbon capture solutions, and solar technologies. By combining AI with physics and chemistry, we can speed up discoveries that might otherwise take decades.

As a child, Max used to stare at the stars and sketch ideas for nuclear reactors, driven by curiosity and wonder. That thrill never left him. Today, it fuels his work on systems that might soon rival human intelligence — raising deep questions about creativity, consciousness, and what it means to be human.

Julia Yeomans works where disciplines collide — using physics to answer biological questions. Her research into how cells move, divide and organize sheds light on vital processes like embryogenesis and cancer.

Julia’s fascination with structure and symmetry started early. As a teenager, she gravitated to physics for its patterns and logic, even if being one of the only women in her class made it a lonely path.

Now a professor at Oxford, she’s changing that landscape — showing young people, especially girls, that physics is a field where they belong. For Julia, science is about beauty, curiosity, and the power of asking the right questions.

In this episode, we meet Professor Phillip Dale, a solar cell researcher at the University of Luxembourg.

With a background in chemistry, Phillip now works in a physics department — and embraces interdisciplinary thinking to solve urgent challenges. He’s passionate about public engagement and believes science must be shared with the public.

His work goes beyond labs and light: it’s about understanding how human problems and technical problems intersect — and staying curious enough to try new paths until solutions emerge.