an IOP public lecture by

Professor Werner Hofer

Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Wednesday 8 February 2017 at 6.30 pm

Stephen Langton Building (former EMMTEC) Lecture Theatre, Brayford Pool Campus, University of Lincoln

Given the experimental precision in condensed matter physics — positions are measured with errors of less than 0.1pm, energies with about 0.1meV, and temperature levels are below 20mK — it can be inferred that standard quantum mechanics, with its inherent uncertainties, is a model at the end of its natural lifetime. In this talk I want to explore the elements of a future physical framework beyond this model. It is quite clear that extended electrons, which lend themselves to a spacetime description of wave properties, will be key to such a framework. After all, even Einstein considered the question, what electrons actually are, as the main question in all physical theory. The important elements here are…