Physics World Stories Podcast · Physics World

Quantum 2.0: Paul Davies on the next revolution in physics

·40 min·3 clips

Paul Davies reveals why quantum mechanics, despite 100 years of success, still makes no sense at its core.

Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies discusses his new book, "Quantum 2.0," marking the centenary of quantum mechanics. Host Andrew Glester explores with Davies the impending "Quantum 2.0" revolution, which moves beyond foundational theory into applied quantum information science. Davies directs the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University, a hub for investigating profound questions across disciplines. Davies details three key technological legs of Quantum 2.0: quantum computing, quantum cryptography and teleportation, and quantum sensing. He explains that quantum teleportation exploits the property of entanglement, a concept debated by Einstein and Bohr in the 1930s. Practical teleportation requires classical communication, like a phone call, to instruct the receiver, preventing faster-than-light information transfer. The conversation covers "biophotons," or photons emitted by living tissue, and whether they have a quantum signaling function. Davies describes the historical significance of Schrödinger's equation, published in January 1926, as the practical starting point for quantum mechanics. UNESCO has declared 2025 the official International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. A surprising claim is that a conscious quantum artificial intelligence (QAI) could perceive reality as an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, a perspective utterly foreign to human experience. Davies suggests that first-generation AIs might be programmed with human values, but their self-evolved successors likely would not retain them. He posits that an entity exploring the full quantum realm would have an experience infinitely richer than our three-dimensional perception. The discussion notes that quantum sensors, like magnetometers in helmets, can already monitor human brainwaves and interface with computers. Davies connects quantum ideas to the arts, citing experiments in "quantum jazz," where instruments interact with a quantum computer's intrinsic randomness. The episode's tone is conversational and educational, weaving complex concepts with historical context and future implications. The style is accessible, using analogies to bridge technical ideas for a non-specialist audience without oversimplification. Listeners interested in the philosophical implications of science and the intersection of technology, consciousness, and ethics would find this episode compelling. Those seeking a highly technical, equations-focused discussion of quantum mechanics might find the broader scope less engaging.

As heard by us

A wide quantum tour that ties physics, philosophy, and technology together.

The episode gives Paul Davies room to trace quantum physics from its foundations to its newer applications, moving from time and consciousness to the origins of life and the universe.

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Why you'd press play

If you want quantum physics with history, philosophy, and modern stakes, start here.

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