logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
35m 37s

Babbage: Untangling quantum mechanics wi...

The Economist
About this episode

In 2022, the Nobel prize for physics was awarded to a trio of scientists for their work on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. This week, host Alok Jha asks one of the laureates, Anton Zeilinger, how he proved Einstein wrong and how his research into a phenomenon called quantum entanglement can help make sense of the universe. Plus, can “quantum teleportation” usher in a new era of technology? 


Anton Zeilinger is a physicist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and professor emeritus at the University of Vienna.


For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Yesterday
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Jul 8
The French reconnection: Macron in Britain
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operati ... Show More
21m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
Babbage: Untangling quantum mechanics with Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger
In 2022, the Nobel prize for physics was awarded to a trio of scientists for their work on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. This week, host Alok Jha asks one of the laureates, Anton Zeilinger, how he proved Einstein wrong and how his research into a phenomenon called quantu ... Show More
35m 37s
Oct 2023
Attosecond pulses and quantum dots: exploring the physics behind this year’s Nobel prizes
It has been a very exciting week in the world of physics. The winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Physics were announced on Tuesday and on Wednesday we learned that this year’s chemistry prize has a very strong connection to physics. And to top it all off, the names of the chemis ... Show More
40m 39s
Nov 2022
Quantum technology gathers pace
This month’s episode of the Physics World Stories podcast looks in depth at the science behind the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics and the technologies that are emerging as a result. Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger shared this year’s award “for their experiments with ... Show More
43m 38s
Aug 2021
Babbage: Unstrung — the end of string theory?
The 20th Century was a golden age for physics but some of its ideas for explaining the material universe have been thrown into doubt. Could a theory known as entropic gravity usher in a new dawn? Also, how should scientists engage with science deniers? And, the technology behind ... Show More
25m 7s
Mar 2021
Babbage: Shooting out the messenger
The pandemic has fueled the rapid advancement of emerging biotechnologies. The Economist’s science editor explores the potential of RNA beyond covid-19. Also, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli explains the implications of quantum physics on our interactions with objects. And, c ... Show More
26m 25s
Oct 2020
Babbage: Nobel minds
Host Kenneth Cukier explores the science honoured in this year’s Nobel prizes. Our correspondents assess the life-saving impact of the identification of hepatitis C, speak to one of this year’s winners for physics, Andrea Ghez, about her work unveiling the mysteries of the cosmos ... Show More
27m 27s
Aug 2021
Babbage: Keeping it cool
Solar geoengineering has the potential to help counteract global warming, so why are scientists so cautious about it? Host Kenneth Cukier also explores a new, green idea that could revolutionise air conditioning. And our obituaries editor remembers Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laurea ... Show More
24m 58s
Mar 2023
Quantum melodies: the intersection of music and quantum physics
When pioneering musicians such as Kraftwerk and Brian Eno began experimenting with synthesizers and digital samplers in the 1970s, it was considered avant-garde and confined to niche audiences. It didn’t take long, however, for electronic music to explode in popularity, and today ... Show More
59m 58s