Conversations at the Perimeter

Hilding Neilson is an astrophysicist who works at the intersection of science, astronomy, and Indigenous knowledge. He joins co-hosts Colin and Lauren for a fascinating conversation about the ways humans make sense of the vast night sky, via telescopes, mathematics, and traditional knowledge passed through generations. Neilson – who recently started a new role as an Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland – probe...

Estelle Inack is a research scientist at Perimeter Institute, working at the intersection of quantum matter and artificial intelligence as a member of the Perimeter Institute Quantum Intelligence Lab (PIQuIL). She is also the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of yiyaniQ, a quantum intelligence startup. Her research aims to develop quantum-inspired algorithms to tackle real-world optimization problems using state-of-the-art ma...

François David is a mathematical physicist and a passionate educator with an infectious zest for decoding the mysteries of the universe. As a scientist based at the Institut de Physique Théorique (IPhT), he uses mathematical techniques and tools to tackle open questions in areas ranging from quantum gravity to statistical mechanics. He is also a popular lecturer among graduate physics students in his native France and at Perimeter ...

A postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter Institute, Meenu Kumari is an explorer at the edge of quantum science. Her research explores open questions at the meeting points of quantum information, quantum foundations, and quantum matter. In this conversation with Lauren and Colin, she explains what it means to study the realm where quantum meets classical, and how we might harness the peculiar nature of the quantum realm to better unde...

Lucien Hardy is a theoretical physicist working at the intersection of the two pillars of modern physics – general relativity and quantum mechanics – in the quest for a single unifying theory: quantum gravity. Hardy joins co-hosts Lauren and Colin for a conversation about the puzzles that have driven him throughout his career, including the past 20 as a Perimeter faculty member. Hardy recalls the radio program that first sparked hi...

On May 12, 2022, the global Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration unveiled the landmark first image of the black hole at the heart of our own Milky Way galaxy, called Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*). On this special episode of Conversations at the Perimeter, Lauren and Colin talk with astrophysicist Avery Broderick about the significance of this discovery. He explains how the EHT collaboration created an “Earth-sized telescope” – ...

They often debate the workings of black holes and the big bang at Perimeter Institute’s blackboards -- and sometimes at the breakfast table too. Ghazal Geshnizjani and Niayesh Afshordi split their time between investigating the mysteries of the cosmos and raising their young family. Both are researchers at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo, exploring concepts like the beginning of the universe, the extreme gravity ...

Theoretical physicist, philosopher, and international bestselling author Carlo Rovelli joins Lauren and Colin for a conversation about the quest for quantum gravity, the importance of unlearning outdated ideas, and a very unique way to get out of a speeding ticket. Rovelli is a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair at Perimeter Institute. He is also the author of seven popular science books, including The Order of Time, Reality is ...

Katie Mack was recently appointed as Perimeter’s inaugural Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication. An adept science communicator, she is best known as @Astrokatie to her 400,000+ Twitter followers. She published her first book in 2020, The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), in which she explains the various ways our universe could come to its end. During this conversation, she tells us about her ear...

Timothy Hsieh is a Perimeter faculty member and a co-leader of the Institute’s Clay Riddell Centre for Quantum Matter. His research explores the intersection of quantum information and condensed matter physics. The Los Angeles native is also a classically trained violinist and a new dad. During this conversation, he shares how “quantum magic” can help us build powerful quantum computers, his first experiences at Perimeter as a teen...