Quantum Foundations Podcast

Episodios

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  Subquantum physics: nonlocality, pilot-waves & breaking the Born rule with Prof Antony Valentini 11.05.2026 2h 6m

  Quantum theory appears to allow some kind of connection between entangled particles, but not enough to send messages. Antony Valentini argues this is a conspiracy: there must be something deeper than quantum, where nonlocality can actually be used to send messages, but it is hidden from view in standard quantum experiments. In this episode of the Quantum Foundations Podcast, Valentini uses Pilot-wave theory to explain the physics of the nonlocal subquantum world. He discusses various ways that the theory could be experimentally tested, by looking for signatures of violations of the Born rule in extreme environments, such as the early universe. He also discusses the radical technological implications of subquantum physics, if we were able to harness it.   Valentini recently released a book for a general audience explaining these ideas, "Beyond the Quantum: A Quest for the Origin and Hidden Meaning of Quantum Mechanics".
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  A new theory of quantum & spacetime with Prof. Gerard Milburn 17.03.2026 1h 2m

  What if quantum particles have no gravity? In this episode of the Quantum Foundations Podcast, Professor Gerard Milburn explains how this radical idea could solve open problems in quantum theory and lead towards a theory of quantum gravity. It comes with extreme consequences for quantum measurements; the formation of black holes; and even the beginning of the universe. From a new understanding of Bell experiments to a cosmological arrow of time, find out if dropping gravity from the equation could be the start of transforming the field of quantum science and technology.
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  Deriving probability in quantum many-worlds with Dr Tony Short 19.02.2026 1h 15m

  If there really is a quantum reality for every possible outcome of a measurement, then where do measurement probabilities come from? Dr Tony Short at the University of Bristol has used a set of intuitive assumptions to derive probability in a quantum multiverse. In this episode we discuss his motivations for exploring the many-worlds interpretation; what his assumptions are and how they lead to the Born rule for measurement probabilities; and how these ideas fit within the broader landscape of research in quantum foundations, probability and the many-worlds interpretation. 
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  Solving nonlocality with fractals, chaos & counterfactuals | Prof. Tim Palmer 05.02.2026 1h 24m

  The notion of true quantum nonlocality is absurd. Prof Tim Palmer from the University of Oxford suggests that there is a hidden assumption in standard quantum mechanics, and dropping it will save us from this absurdity. Namely, the reality of counterfactuals: the physics of what could have happened but did not. Inspired by chaos theory and the fractal structure widespread in atmospheric physics, Palmer has developed a new underlying structure for quantum theory, with radical implications for our fundamental principles of quantum physics; the limits of quantum computation; and perhaps even the search for quantum gravity.
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  Testing quantum observers on quantum computers with Dr Will Zeng 22.01.2026 1h 18m

  What if you could put an observer in superposition on a quantum computer? Dr Will Zeng suggests that this experiment could stretch standard quantum theory so far that it might break — and radically update our understanding of physical reality. However, today's proof-of-principle experiments on quantum computers use single qubits to model observers. Zeng explains how a new programme of research aims to quantify "observer-ness" and conduct experiments with increasingly realistic observers, pushing quantum computers to the limits until they can run actual quantum Artificial General Intelligence experiments.
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  Conservation laws with Dr Chiara Marletto 08.01.2026 1h 17m

  Our most far-reaching principles of physics are not about what changes, but what stays the same: conservation laws. In this episode of the Quantum Foundations Podcast, Dr Chiara Marletto from the University of Oxford explains how such principles enable discovery of new physical phenomena; their central role in thermodynamics; controversies about how they hold up in quantum mechanics; and how they can be used to formulate results about future theories of physics beyond quantum.
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  Quantum, cryptography & metacomplexity with Oxford Computer Scientist Matthew Gray 10.12.2025 1h 51m

  You’ve heard of cryptography. Perhaps quantum cryptography too. Maybe even post-quantum cryptography. But what about *quantum post-quantum cryptography*?! When this came up in conversation with Oxford Computer Scientist Matthew Gray recently, I’d never heard of it. I wanted to know more, so I invited him for a podcast. Turns out, there’s a whole world of layers to unravel linking quantum and cryptography — or even multiple worlds… In this discussion, we dip into those, and how this all relates to “metacomplexity” problems: the hardness of figuring out the hardness of a problem. Listen to this episode if you want to experience your perception of how quantum computing meets cryptography shift from monochrome to technicolour, as we push cryptography to its limits through the lens of fundamental assumptions about computation, quantum physics and reality.
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  A quantum theory of time with Dr Simone Rijavec 19.11.2025 1h 1m

  What if time isn’t fundamental — but emerges from quantum mechanics itself? In this episode, Dr Simone Rijavec explains how a timeless quantum universe can still give rise to the illusion of time flowing. We unpack the Wheeler–DeWitt equation, the Page–Wootters model of relational time, and how these ideas connect to the multiverse and quantum gravity. Dr Rijavec is a postdoctoral researcher at Tel Aviv University and former PhD researcher at the University of Oxford.
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  Quantum Information meets Cosmology with Dr Aditya Iyer 21.07.2025 1h 40m

  From the Big Bang puzzles to testing if the early universe was quantum entangled — physicist Dr Aditya Iyer, from the University of Oxford, explains how quantum phenomena are key to understanding cosmology, gravity and even how it's possible we exist at all.
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  Constructor Theory of Information with Dr Chiara Marletto 05.02.2025 1h 7m

  What if we don't need quantum mechanics to express the key properties of quantum information? Join me for a deep-dive into the Constructor Theory of information with Dr Chiara Marletto, Research Fellow at the University of Oxford.   Constructor Theory is a research programme proposed by Prof. David Deutsch in 2012, and further developed by Deutsch and Marletto, and collaborators, since then. The theory aims to unify various strands of physics, and solve open problems — and the key motivation and starting point is a new conception of the laws of physics surrounding information.   In this podcast, we discuss what constructor theory is; how it expresses laws about classical and quantum information; applications to e.g. tests of quantum gravity and quantum field theory; the role of locality and subsystems in the testability of physics; and taking fundamental physics back to the roots of the early days of quantum information theory.
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  Testing Quantum Gravity & Reality with Prof. Vlatko Vedral 28.01.2025 1h 41m

  In this episode of the Quantum Foundations Podcast, I'm joined by Professor Vlatko Vedral from the University of Oxford. We discuss modern and historic experimental proposals for testing quantum gravity. Get ready to dive deep into understanding what different proposals would *really* tell us about the nature of quantum gravity, and what problems we're up against to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. All from the modern perspective of quantum information theory.
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  QBism, Relational QM & Wigner's Friend with Dr Andrea Di Biagio 24.11.2024 1h 9m

  I interview Dr Andrea Di Biagio, who is a postdoctoral research fellow at IQOQI Vienna. We discuss Andrea's journey through interpretations of quantum theory, including QBism, Relational Quantum Mechanics, Everettian Quantum Theory and Wigner's friend. These topics have been subjects of Andrea's past and active research, including work with Prof. Carlo Rovelli.
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  Everettian Quantum Theory with Dr Sam Kuypers 24.11.2024 2h 18m

  I interview Dr Sam Kuypers, who is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Université de Montréal. We discuss the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, also known as Everettian quantum theory, which has been the subject of Sam's research including work together with Prof. David Deutsch.
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  Does quantum reality emerge from causation? Feat. Dr Nick Ormrod 24.11.2024 1h 20m

  I interview Dr Nick Ormrod, who recently completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford and is now a post-doctoral research fellow at the Perimeter Institute in Canada. We discuss the new interpretation of quantum theory that Nick has been working on during his DPhil, with Prof. Jonathan Barrett. The key idea is that reality emerges from causal structures.
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  Locality in Quantum Physics Explained with Dr Nicetu Tibau Vidal 24.11.2024 2h 1m

  Dr. Nicetu Tibau Vidal explains how we can keep both locality and realism within standard quantum mechanics. However, we need to update our understanding of the physical properties of a particle that really exist — with important implications for the nature of reality.