GOD PLAYS DICE WITH THE WORLD The Story of Quantum Mechanics
Public Lecture by Giuseppe Mussardo
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 5:30 pm
Della Pietra Family Auditorium, SCGP 103
Reception, Simons Center Lobby, 5:00 pm
In conjunction with the exhibition
100 Years of Quantum Mechanics
Simons Center Gallery
Abstract
What is matter? A question that has fascinated—and at times tormented—some of the brightest minds of the twentieth century. Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Wolfgang Pauli, and Paul Dirac all grappled with it, debating fiercely, colliding over equations and experiments, in their attempt to decipher the very essence of physical reality. Out of this intellectual struggle was born quantum mechanics, a theory that unveils a microscopic universe ruled by probability—an outcome that Einstein found so unsettling that he refused to accept its philosophical implications.
A century after its first complete formulation, in the seminar we retrace the history of this scientific revolution through its protagonists and its places: from the hushed courtyards of Cambridge colleges to the windswept cliffs of Helgoland, amid biographies worthy of an adventure novel and exchanges of fiery letters. The result is a captivating narrative that pays tribute to an unrepeatable season in the history of science.
Bio
Giuseppe Mussardo is a distinguished professor at SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) in Trieste, Italy. His research focuses on theoretical physics, with significant contributions to quantum field theory and statistical mechanics. He is widely recognized for his expertise in integrable systems and their applications in various areas of physics.
He is also interested in history of science and outreach activity. Author of several popular books on science and history of science, such as The ABC’s of Science (Springer, Berlin 2020), Maksimovic. The history of Bruno Pontecorvo (2024) and God plays dice with the world (2025), both in press with Springer. Among his awards, the prize of the Italian Physical Society for scientific outreach (2013), the Kramers Chair at the University of Utrecht (2017) and Cosmos Prize for the best book of history of physics (2024). In 2023 he was elected to the oldest Italian Academy, l’Accademica del Disegno e delle Arti.
