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Charting the Future Symposium: Big questions in particle physics, strong gravity, and cosmology over the next 25 years

Join us for a special symposium celebrating Perimeter’s 25th anniversary. This event offers a unique opportunity to unite Perimeter alumni and friends in the fields of cosmology, particle physics, and strong gravity with our extended community, reflect on a quarter-century of discovery, and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next 25 years of fundamental physics.

Over the past quarter-century, we have witnessed transformative advances across our fields. In particle physics, the discovery of the Higgs boson crowned decades of effort, while precision experiments continue to probe the Standard Model and search for new physics. In strong gravity, the direct detection of gravitational waves has opened a new observational window onto black holes, neutron stars, and the very fabric of spacetime. In cosmology, precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure have revolutionized our understanding of the universe’s origins and evolution, even as dark matter and dark energy remain profound mysteries.

As we look to the future, a new generation of experiments, observations, and theoretical ideas promises to drive further revolutions. From uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model to probing the nature of spacetime and the earliest moments of the cosmos, the next 25 years are poised to be as transformative as the last.

This symposium will bring together leading researchers, young scientists, alumni, and friends to celebrate past achievements, and imagine the discoveries yet to come. We invite you to be part of this landmark event at Perimeter Institute, as we honor the spirit of curiosity, ambition, and collaboration that has defined our journey so far — and will carry us forward

Invited Speakers

• Haipeng An (Tsinghua University)
• Masha Baryakhtar (University of Washington)
• Brian Batell (University of Pittsburgh)
• Laura Bernard (Observatoire de Paris)
• Richard Bond (CITA)
• Pablo Bosch Gomez (Utrecht University)
• Latham Boyle (University of Edinburgh)
• Patrick Brady (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
• Joe Bramante (Queen's University)
• Savas Dimopoulos (Perimeter Institute)
• Adrienne Erickcek (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
• Stefania Gori (UC Santa Cruz)
• Chad Hanna (Pennsylvania State)
• Renée Hložek (University of Toronto)
• Yoni Kahn (University of Toronto)
• Vicky Kaspi (McGill University)
• Gordan Krnjaic (Fermilab)
• Ian Low (Northwestern University)
• Mathew Madhavacheril (University of Pennsylvania)
• David Morissey (TRIUMF)
• Moritz Münchmeyer (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Ue-Li Pen (CITA, Perimeter Institute)
• Will Percival (Perimeter Institute)
• Maxim Pospelov (University of Minnesota)
• Josef Pradler (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Daniel Siegel (University of Greifswald)
• Nils Siemonsen (Princeton University)
• Carlos Wagner (University of Chicago)
• Huan Yang (Tsinghua University)
• Matias Zaldarriaga (IAS)

 

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Organizing Committee
Asimina Arvanitaki
Luis Lehner
Sergey Sibiryakov
Kendrick Smith

 

In the past three decades, one of the most transformative insights in cosmology has been the realisation that the formation and evolution processes of cosmic structures such as supermassive black-holes, galaxies and clusters are deeply interconnected with the vast cosmic web that underpins the Universe. These processes do not happen in isolation, but are part of a dynamic ecosystem where matter and energy flow across scales, driving the growth and transformation of cosmic environments. Understanding this complex system, in particular the circum-galactic medium (CGM), is not only key to deciphering how matter is cycled and redistributed through accretion via filaments and outflows from AGN and supernovae, but also crucial for unlocking the next generation of discoveries in areas such as dark matter, the behaviour of the cosmic web, the forces that shape cosmic evolution, and more.   This conference seeks to bring together cosmologists and astrophysicists to foster collaborative exploration of these interconnected cosmic ecosystems. By focusing on how structures interact with their environments across cosmic scales, this conference aims to catalyse groundbreaking discoveries in both astronomy and physics, providing fresh insights into the forces that govern the Universe. Special attention will be given to the joint analysis of large-scale structure and weak gravitational lensing data from surveys such as DESI, Euclid, LSST and Roman with CMB data from the Simons Observatory and CMB-S4, as well as how these can be integrated with observations of JWST, and existing and upcoming observations of X-ray emission, UV/X-ray absorption toward quasars, 21-cm emission, and FRBs.   The goal is to explore the complementarity of these data sets and how their alignment can provide new insights into the interconnected processes shaping cosmic environments, particularly through joint modelling and simulations of many phases of gas and feedback across different regimes. Attention will also be given to bridging the gap between how cosmologists and astronomers approach the CGM, either top-down large-scale and hot and virial phase, vs bottom-up, cooler phases, at smaller scales.   Topics will include: · Cosmic mass budget, including a census of where the baryons are. · Effect of baryons on dark matter structures on small and large scales. · Cosmic evolution of large-scale structures. · Bridging the gap between different probes.

Please see the Conference Themes for a more complete list of example topics.
  The time has never been more right to unify these fields, as advances in observation, theory and simulations are poised to open new paths to revealing the cosmos’ most profound mysteries.    
 

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Organizing Committee (LOC) 
 

Selim Hotinli (Perimeter Institute) 

Neal Dalal (Perimeter Institute) 

Mike Hudson (University of Waterloo, Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics) 

Matt Johnson (Perimeter Institute) 

Katie Mack (Perimeter Institute) 

Brian McNamara (University of Waterloo, Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics) 

Arielle Phillips (University of Notre Dame / Simons Emmy Noether Fellow at Perimeter Institute) 

Kendrick Smith (Perimeter Institute) 

  

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC) 
 

Nick Battaglia (Cornell) 

Hsiao-Wen Chen (University of Chicago) 

Megan Donahue (Michigan State University) 

Claude-André Faucher-Giguère (Northwestern) 

Cameron Hummels (Caltech) 

Selim Hotinli (Perimeter Institute) 

Ian McCarthy (Liverpool John Moores University) 

Daisuke Nagai (Yale) 

Gwen Rudie (Carnegie Institution for Science) 

Freeke van de Voort (Cardiff University) 

Jessica Werk (University of Washington) 

 

Confirmed Speakers 

 

Alexandra Amon (Princeton)  

Iryna Butsky (Stanford)  

William Coulton (Cambridge University)  

Sanskrti Das (Stanford)  

Simone Ferraro (Berkeley Lab)  

Nicholas J Frontiere (Argonne)  

Vera Gluscevic (USC)*  

Timothy Heckman (JHU)*  

Boryana Hadzhiyska (UC Berkeley & Berkeley Lab)*  

Stella Koch Ocker (California Institute of Technology)  

Khee-Gan Lee (IPMU)*  

Nir Mandelker (Hebrew University Jerusalem) 

Chris Martin (Caltech) 

Daisuke Nagai (Yale) 

Andrew Newman (Carnegie Institution for Science) 

Peng Oh (UC Santa Barbara) 

Hiranya Peiris (University of Cambridge) 

Andrew Pontzen (Durham University)  

Emanuel Schaan (SLAC)  

Joop Schaye (Leiden University)*  

Chuck Steidel (California Institute of Technology)  

Jonathan Stern (Tel Aviv University)  

Mark Voit (Michigan State University)  

Irina Zhuravleva (University of Chicago) 

 

 *Virtual presenters

 

QIQG 2025: Quantum Information in Quantum Gravity

  QIQG 2025: Quantum Information In Quantum Gravity will unite researchers working at the intersection of quantum information theory and quantum gravity, to exchange insights and showcase recent developments bridging these fields. As part of the celebrations of Perimeter’s 25th anniversary, we will also feature vision talks by world-leading experts exploring pivotal and emerging themes at the nexus of quantum information and quantum gravity. Our program will span topics such as:  

• Algebraic approaches to field theory and gravity
• Observers, quantum reference frames, and relational observables
• Quantum focussing and the Generalized Second Law
• SYK and its double-scaled limit
• The quantum information theoretic structure of spacetime
• Edge modes and entanglement entropy across subregions
• The role of complexity in field theory and gravity
• The black-hole information puzzle and related issues
• Quantum error-correcting codes in quantum field theory and quantum gravity
• Quantum cryptography and its implications for gravity
• Gravitational wormholes and their information-theoretic implications
• Chaos and thermalization in many-body systems and their realization in quantum gravity
• Holographic cosmology and de Sitter space

 

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Scientific Organizers

Luca Ciambelli (Perimeter Institute)
Rob Myers (Perimeter Institute)
Chris Waddell (Perimeter Institute)
Beni Yoshida (Perimeter Institute)

Detector operators, of which the average null energy operator provides the most famous example, arise as direct theoretical models of asymptotic measurements in collider experiments. In QFT, detector operators are expressed in terms of "light-ray operators", whose correlation functions provide an interesting class of non-perturbatively well-defined observables. There has recently been renewed interest in detector operators coming from three distinct directions: In CFTs, there has been progress understanding the space of light-ray operators, their organization into Regge trajectories, and their appearance in Lorentzian operator product expansions. In perturbative QFT and gravity, borrowing techniques from the study of scattering amplitudes, there has been progress understanding multi-point correlation functions of detector operators, in particular, their function space and singularities. Finally, in particle physics, there have recently been direct measurements of correlation functions of detector operators in collider experiments, enabling measurements of their scaling behavior and the structure of multi-point correlators of light-ray operators in QCD. In this mini-course I will give an introduction to the theory of light-ray/ detector operators, their correlators, and their applications in particle phenomenology, and provide an overview of the recent progress in the directions mentioned above. Throughout, I will attempt to highlight the different perspectives and motivations for studying these operators, coming from the CFT, amplitudes and phenomenological communities. I will conclude with a discussion of open problems in both theory and phenomenological applications, as well as highlighting areas where theoretical developments could have an impact on real world applications at colliders. Join live sessions via Zoom link: https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96935592330?pwd=NNtf7839TThLFEWIzdH7fYxNYksyYr.1 View all past talks on PIRSA: https://pirsa.org/c25035

 

What is time? Is it fundamental or emergent? This question lies at the foundation of contemporary physics and provides a key to unlocking some of its most challenging open problems, from quantum gravity to cosmology. The quest to understand time extends beyond the realm of physics, providing a privileged standpoint to address questions in diverse fields such as philosophy, mathematics, and computer science.

In this conference, we explore the nature of time from many different perspectives. This is the occasion to honor Perimeter’s “Master of Time,” Lee Smolin, and to celebrate his seminal scientific contributions. Lee Smolin is a founding faculty member of Perimeter Institute and a primary inspiration behind its spirit and design. This is an opportunity to journey back in time to the origins of some of the groundbreaking initiatives that Lee helped develop, and to look forward to future developments inspired by his achievements. The conference focuses on time but also on the foundations of quantum mechanics and the quest for quantum gravity, particularly Loop Quantum Gravity, of which Lee Smolin is a co-creator. In the spirit of Lee Smolin, the conference celebrates the interdisciplinary nature of the journey toward quantum gravity, with contributions from physics, mathematics, computer science, and philosophy.

 

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Scientific Organizers
Laurent Freidel (Perimeter Institute)
Maïté Dupuis (Perimeter Institute)
Dongxue Qu (Perimeter Institute)
Francesca Vidotto (Western University)

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Speakers

• Niayesh Afshordi (University of Waterloo)
• Stephon Alexander (Brown University)
• Giovanni Amelino-Camelia (University of Naples Federico II)
• Julian Barbour (Independent)
• Bianca Dittrich (Perimeter Institute)
• Fay Dowker (Imperial College)
• Avshalom Elitzur (Chapman University)
• Lucien Hardy (Perimeter Institute)
• Viqar Husain (University of New Brunswick)
• Jenann Ismael (Johns Hopkins University)
• Ted Jacobson (Maryland University)
• Jaron Lanier (Microsoft Research)
• Etera Livine (Lyon, Ecole Normale Superieure)
• João Magueijo (Imperial College London)
• Seth Major (Hamilton College)
• Carlo Rovelli (Aix-Marseille University)
• Simon Saunders (Oxford University)
• Simone Speziale (Aix-Marseille University)
• Francesca Vidotto (Western University)
• Steven Weinstein (University of Waterloo) 

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Credit: Artwork by Kaća Bradonjić

 

We will cover the basics of the gauge/gravity duality, including some of the following aspects: holographic fluids, applications to condensed matter systems, entanglement entropy, and recent advances in understanding the black hole information paradox. Instructor: David Kubiznak/Gang Xu Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

This course will cover quantum phases of matter, with a focus on long-range entangled states, topological states, and quantum criticality. Instructor: Chong Wang/Subhayan Sahu Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

The main goal of this course is to show in which ways General Relativity (GR) is similar, and especially in which ways it is different, from other gauge theories. The largest component of the course is dedicated to studying the specific symmetry structure of GR and how it intimately relates to its dynamics. To do so, we will introduce a host of concepts and techniques, broadly (and loosely) known under the name of “Covariant Phase Space Method”. This provides a different perspective on GR’s physics, a perspective in which phase space, rather than spacetime, is front and center. Along the way we will take a few detours: we will explore (parts of) the historical debate on whether gravity should be quantized at all, discuss how to think of time evolution when there is no absolute time, and go through Wald’s proposal of black hole entropy as a Noether charge. The intended outcome of the course is to provide a new perspective on GR which, hopefully, will inform you on why it is much harder to quantize than other theories – especially from a non-perturbative perspective. In this sense the course always keeps an eye on Quantum Gravity, even though there will be very little “quantum” in it. It is also a course that does not hinge on any specific approach to the quantization of gravity. Also, it is worth noting that the covariant phase space techniques are broadly used in the current literature on the black hole information paradox, soft symmetries, and holography, and is therefore a useful tool to learn if you are interested in any of these topics. Instructor: Aldo Riello Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

This course in Cosmology provides a theoretical overview of the standard cosmological model. Key topics include the FRW metric and the homogeneous universe, the thermal history of the universe (with an emphasis on the hot Big Bang and equilibrium thermodynamics), inflation and scalar field dynamics, along with selected aspects of cosmological perturbation theory (time permitting). Instructor: Neal Dalal/Ghazal Geshnizjani Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

Can the effectiveness of a medical treatment be determined without the expense of a randomized controlled trial? Can the impact of a new policy be disentangled from other factors that happen to vary at the same time? Questions such as these are the purview of the field of causal inference, a general-purpose science of cause and effect, applicable in domains ranging from epidemiology to economics. Researchers in this field seek in particular to find techniques for extracting causal conclusions from statistical data. Meanwhile, one of the most significant results in the foundations of quantum theory—Bell’s theorem—can also be understood as an attempt to disentangle correlation and causation. Recently, it has been recognized that Bell’s result is an early foray into the field of causal inference and that the insights derived from almost 60 years of research on his theorem can supplement and improve upon state-of-the-art causal inference techniques. In the other direction, the conceptual framework developed by causal inference researchers provides a fruitful new perspective on what could possibly count as a satisfactory causal explanation of the quantum correlations observed in Bell experiments. Efforts to elaborate upon these connections have led to an exciting flow of techniques and insights across the disciplinary divide. This course will explore what is happening at the intersection of these two fields. Instructor: Robert Spekkens/Bindiya Arora Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

Interactive Theorem Provers (or Proof Assistants) are tools that verify and partially automate mathematical proofs. The process of encoding mathematics into these systems, known as formalisation, has gained significant interest due to its role in proof verification, generating verified code for computer algebra systems, and expanding digital mathematical libraries. It seems likely with the growth in sophistication of proof assistants, and progress of Generative AI technologies, interactive theorem provers will become a useful aide for research and teaching of mathematics.  Lean, a leading proof assistant, has grown in popularity thanks to its extensive mathlib library, which now covers most undergraduate mathematics and beyond. Notable milestones include the Liquid Tensor Experiment, which formalised a key result by Fields medalist Peter Scholze, and the rapid formalisation of the Polynomial Freiman-Ruzsa Conjecture led by Terry Tao.The goal of the workshop is to introduce mathematicia...

This is an annual discussion meeting of the Indian statistical physics community attended by scientists, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, from across the country, working in the broad area of statistical physics.This meeting will be the 10th in the series. The following list of topics, that are covered in STATPHYS meetings of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, will be covered in this discussion meeting.General and mathematical aspectsRigorous results, exact solutions, probability theory, stochastic field theory, phase transitions and critical phenomena at equilibrium, information theory, optimization, etc.Out-of-equilibrium aspectsDriven systems, transport theory, relaxation and response dynamics, random processes, anomalous diffusion, fluctuation theorems, large deviations, out-of-equilibrium phase transitions, etc.Quantum fluids and condensed matterStrongly correlated electrons, cold atoms, graphene, mesoscopic quantum phenomena, fractional quantum Hall e...