Physics

A hypothetical primordial black hole population may constitute a fraction of dark matter. These black holes can interact and merge, emitting gravitational waves with rates and source properties that differ from those of astrophysical black hole mergers. I will review the collisional processes that drive the formation and coalescence of primordial black hole binaries in the early and late universe. These processes provide key constraints on the merger rates of these binaries and on the contribution of primordial black holes to the dark matter fraction.

In this talk I will give updates on two projects: Firstly, Perimeter and Two Small Fish Ventures are currently supporting a group of five PSI alumni in writing a play themed around quantum science & technology, with the goal of enriching public discourse on these fields. On the one hand, we aim to inform the audience about key quantum concepts in an entertaining setting. On the other hand, we are exploring questions such as "Will we really have fault-tolerant quantum computers in five years? Which quantum research is better pursued in industry vs. academia? Who will benefit from commercialization? What drives scientists to do quantum research - for scientific understanding, or because 'today's theoretical physics is tomorrow's technology'?". Five characters debate different takes on these questions in a Douglas-Adams-inspired sci-fi setting.

Secondly, I will review recent developments in classical and quantum reservoir computing.