Recordings of Online Lectures

PGI researchers regularly engage with the public through various channels, including lectures. You can find a selection of recordings of online lectures here:

Prof. Dr Tommaso Calarco, PGI-8, and Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand (external): "Art and Quantum Computing – how we bring the intangible to life" (29 May 2026, in English)

Quantum computing is regarded as the epitome of the intangible – and yet it is increasingly becoming a canvas for images, sounds and experiences. What happens when quantum processes can be not only calculated but also addressed using the senses? In two short keynote talks, science and art come together here. The focus is on artistic and scientific cross-disciplinary explorations – from hydrodynamic quantum analogues through ‘installation art’ to phenomenological questions: where does our body end as a measuring instrument – and where does the observed phenomenon begin?

About the speakers:

• Prof. Dr Tommaso Calarco is Director of the Peter Grünberg Institute PGI-8 (Quantum Control). He is working on methods to control quantum processes in a targeted manner and to make them usable for quantum computers.
• Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand are an internationally active artist duo working at the intersection of art and physics. They develop installations and performances in which physical phenomena take place before the audience as living, ever-changing events without the use of recording media – in which case perception becomes part of the work.

Prof. Dr Rainer Waser, formerly PGI-7/10: "KI - Brücken zwischen Inseln im Ozean" (4 December 2025, in German)

Artificial intelligence (AI) derives from neuroscience and brain research, which deepen our understanding of biological neural networks, as well as from electrical engineering and information technology, with a focus on novel, energy-efficient memristic components and circuits as the basis for future neuromorphic computers for AI. The lecture begins with these disciplines and provides a brief overview of current AI applications, taking a look at future developments – including their potential and challenges:

Dr. Anja Meier, PGI-3: "Moleküle im Rampenlicht" (20 November 2025, in German)

Light can do far more than simply make things visible – it can reveal to us the innermost structure of matter. When light strikes a surface, electrons are emitted, providing us with information about the structure and electronic properties of the molecules present there. Using photoemission orbital tomography (POT), it is even possible to reconstruct the shapes of the molecular orbitals – effectively portraits of the electron shells. This provides a fascinating view of molecules in the spotlight: