Workshop - What is Quantum Physics becoming In and Out of the labs?

A century after the birth of quantum mechanics, we stand at a unique moment: quantum physics is simultaneously deepening as a field of knowledge and expanding far beyond academic walls. But do we understand what knowledge we are collectively building—and how to share it within and beyond our research communities?

Whether you are pushing the boundaries of quantum theory, developing new technologies, or exploring applications across disciplines, you are contributing to a rapidly evolving landscape. Yet the challenge remains: How do we understand our place in this broader picture, and how do we communicate it to those outside our specialized domains?

As quantum research fragments into diverse subfields—from quantum computing, communications and sensing to foundations and materials—it becomes harder to see the common threads. Meanwhile, quantum concepts permeate industry, policy, and popular culture in ways that demand clear translation.

As 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, join us to figure out how to tell your quantum story.

The workshop will be a bit experimental in that it will challenge researchers to see their own works from different perspectives.

Two talks on history

13: 00 - 14: 00
Christian Joas
Director of Niels Bohr Archive
Foundations and Applications in the History of Quantum Mechanics

In my talk, I will challenge the conventional division between foundations and applications in physics and explore how physicists throughout the history of quantum mechanics have applied the theory and extended its scope beyond its original domains. Rather than merely solving specific problems, many applications of quantum mechanics to new domains (scattering, complex atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei) were drivers of conceptual innovation and played pivotal roles in shaping both the theory and its interpretation. I will illustrate this with a few examples from the early history of quantum mechanics. Without these applications, which are often dismissed as merely derivative extensions, the textbooks of quantum mechanics would look very different. There is untapped potential for physicists, historians, and philosophers to delve deeper into the applications of quantum mechanics. This perspective not only enriches historical studies and broadens the focus to include developments in fields that conventional wisdom considers less fundamental, but also provides tools for understanding contemporary developments in fields like quantum information and quantum computing, where practical applications carry considerable weight.

14: 00 - 15: 00
Laila Zwisler
Head of History of Technology, DTU
History of 19th and 20th century science and engineering in Denmark

Modern academic engineering emerged as hybridization between different disciplines and became a melting pot of disciplines, knowledge and practices. From the late 1700s, engineering academia developed on the foundation of natural sciences, yet integrating theory and practice into teaching and knowledge creation proved challenging, particularly in mechanical engineering.

Over time science became part of a culture of prediction, which enhanced our power to predict and manipulate the behavior of our physical world, but also carried risks of blackboxing and tunnel vision.

This talk will focus primarily on DTU, which was a first wave of polytechnical school, while also incorporating broader international developments. Through specific examples, I will explore this hybridization process, examining the opportunities, gatekeeping, and barriers that arose, as well as the power structures and disciplinary boundaries influencing the process. Engineering disciplines gained legitimacy and authority but also diversified into new, more specialized fields with different methodologies.

15:00 - 16:00
One workshop discussion of QPITers
discussion will be moderated by:
Joanna Behrman
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen.
She is a historian of physics, gender, and science education.

As quantum science leaves the laboratory, it takes on new meanings for audiences from vastly different walks of life. What does quantum mechanics mean to you? And how can this be communicated to different audiences? In this discussion we will cover the difficulties faced when communicating about quantum science and what we can do to improve it. We will tackle what aspects of communication can help or hinder getting our message across and why active collaboration is so important in quantum science communication.