What do we mean when we speak of quantum physics?

A Talk With Maciej Lewenstein i David Mateos

The ICREA research professors Maciej Lewenstein (ICFO-UPC) and David Mateos (ICCUB) talk about quantum physics, explaining why it has shaken up our understanding of nature and revealing which aspects of the theory are still a mystery.

Quantum physics studies subatomic reality or, in other words, the elementary particles forming atoms and the forces by means of which they interact. On such a tiny scale, matter behaves in a very different way from that which we perceive with our senses, starting from the paradoxical fact that mere observation modifies what is being observed, which contradicts the principles of basic physics.

Why does quantum physics represent a new paradigm for science? What challenges does this scientific discipline raise today? Are we close to finding a “theory for everything” that will explain how the universe works on every scale?