Marking the role of philosophy in 100 years of quantum theory
Oxford University’s Faculty of Philosophy will celebrate the centenary of the development of quantum theory with an interdisciplinary conference and musical premiere.
This week’s events, hosted by the Faculty and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, will be part of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
An academic conference will be held at Merton College from 21 to 23 November and talks will be streamed live online for anyone interested in following.
Three free public events will be held alongside the conference:
- 20 November: The world premiere of an organ symphony called ‘Quantum Universe’, composed by Rakhat-Bi Abydssagin and performed by him, supported by Bob Coecke on quantum guitar. (The latter is an electric guitar deployed to control a small quantum computer to generate music.)
- 20 November: A public lecture aimed at schoolchildren and the wider public by renowned theoretical physicist and science communicator Paul Davies, who has recently published a book, Quantum 2.0, with Penguin.
- 23 November: Another concert with the same musicians, featuring piano and Quantum Guitar This futuristic musical innovation will be taking place in Europe’s oldest purpose-built concert hall, the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, which opened in 1748.
More information on these events, and how to book, can be found here.
Chris Timpson, Professor of Philosophy of Physics at Oxford and organiser of the conference, said: “It is salutary that this celebration is being led from the humanities because it showcases how interdisciplinary approaches, and open-mindedness, have shaped and developed quantum theory, taking the best science and technology and connecting it to questions with a humanities lens.”
He added: “The musical performances are a good example of the humanities combining with the sciences to produce something genuinely new. The composition has been inspired by reflecting on the links between quantum theory and music during the course of the 20th Century, but also in a more practical way because of the starring role of the ‘quantum guitar’ being played by Bob Coecke, who was formerly a professor of quantum theory at Oxford.”
Scientists at Oxford have played a crucial role in the development of quantum theory over the past century, from developing super-conducting magnets which became used in MRI scanners to the more recent birth of and progression in quantum computation and information theory.
Professor Timpson said humanities at Oxford also has a role in quantum’s history – and future. “Work on philosophy of physics helps to develop the foundations of quantum theory, and thereby the practical developments in the technology,” he said. “A lot of the drivers for thoughts behind quantum information theory and quantum computation came from the community, including philosophers, who were worrying about the real meaning of quantum theory. In attempting to tidy up our understanding of the theory, radical new ideas emerged about how to exploit the differences between quantum theory and classical physics, leading to things we had not anticipated: the possibility of radically new forms of computation and communication.”
The role of philosophy is more important today than ever, because quantum technology is rapidly being implemented in a way that will affect a large section of humanity. Just last week, the UK government announced new projects to “put quantum to work” in hospitals and public transport. The week before that, Google announced its quantum computer had surpassed the ability of supercomputers.
“An ethical framework is important to shape emerging quantum science, and to help us think through the meaning of the emerging technologies and what governance and structures are needed to protect humanity,” said Professor Timpson.
“Quantum theory also has implications for our worldview and understanding of ourselves as human beings and our place within nature. These are questions philosophers are best placed to help the developers of quantum technology with.”
More information on the centenary, including how to book to attend the free events, are on the Philosophy website.
