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FQxI

@fqxi.org
487 followers 373 following 314 posts

Exploring the foundations of physics and cosmology with Zeeya Merali and Gabe Fitzpatrick, of the Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, the physics think tank and funding agency.

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 7h
Cool to see work in the world that builds on and is in conversation with work I did with my former PhD student Dr. Nathan Rutherford (now at @fqxi.org) and @profannawatts.bsky.social! 🔭
arxiv.org
Bayesian Constraints on Bosonic Dark Matter in Neutron Stars within a Covariant Density-Functional Equation-of-State Ensemble
We investigate neutron stars admixed with repulsively self-interacting bosonic dark matter (DM) using current multi-messenger observations. The dark component is modeled as a complex scalar field coup...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 29/09/2026
FQxI members Vlatko Vedral and Roger Penrose are among authors of an experiment that has made the first direct measurement of the quantum phase of a freely falling object.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 26/09/2026
We've set a guest challenge at the Moth Hack: make something that teaches a general audience about quantum computing or quantum mechanics, using one of Moth's Atlas Engines. The winner gets a £150 voucher. Entries are open online until 2 October.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 24/09/2026
Is gravity quantum? It's one of the big open questions in physics. The Bose-Marletto-Vedral experiment, proposed by Chiara Marletto, Vlatko Vedral and colleagues, would test whether gravity alone can entangle two tiny masses.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 22/09/2026
You leave a cat alone with physicists for five minutes... New research puts gravity’s role in quantum decoherence to the test. qspace.fqxi.org/news/165329/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 21/09/2026
"We may live as scientists, but we all die as philosophers" @nafshordi.bsky.social remembers his friend, mentor and collaborator Rafael Sorkin (1945–2026), a founder of causal set theory. qspace.fqxi.org/news/165330/...
qspace.fqxi.org
FQxI News: Remembering Rafael Sorkin
The Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of science, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a…
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 18/09/2026
Is life really quantum? Gerard McCaul pushes back. Full interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xba...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 17/09/2026
The theoretical physicist Rafael Sorkin died on September 12, 2026, at his home in Kitchener, Ontario. He is best known as one of the main developers of causal set theory, an approach to the emergence of spacetime from discrete points. qspace.fqxi.org/news/165328/...
qspace.fqxi.org
FQxI News: Rafael Sorkin, 1945–2026
The Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of science, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a…
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 14/09/2026
With recent AI safety concerns making headlines, Susan Schneider’s interview with The Sun feels especially timely: could AI become conscious? Read more: qspace.fqxi.org/news/165327/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 07/09/2026
A physicist explains what an infinite universe means.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 04/09/2026
What happens if the universe is infinite? A quick thought experiment with physicist Anthony Aguirre.
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David Sloan @davesmaths.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
When you ask me what's wrong with #science in #academia, you get a rant. Thankfully the excellent editors at @bigthink.com made it coherent. #academicsky 🔭🧪
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Jennifer Rittenhouse West, PhD @rittenhousewest.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Her persistence...when a deep strong mind catches ahold of something...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 01/09/2026
Science needs people who can afford to be wrong. Yet we seem to have built a career ladder that removes them. [VISUAL THREAD]
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New Scientist @newscientist.com · 26/08/2026
Fresh answers are questioning the broader applicability of the Wardian case – and note the importance of where on the moon the plants are grown
newscientist.com
Last Word: Are there plants that could survive as a food source on the moon? Part 2 | New Scientist
Fresh answers are questioning the broader applicability of the Wardian case – and note the importance of where on the moon the plants are grown
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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 26/08/2026
#ICYMI: The collective behavior of neuron networks seems governed by just a few variables, suggesting mean-field theory applies. Researchers found simple versions fail, but an extended version successfully captures real neural activity patterns: go.aps.org/4vIiqYS
An illustration of interconnected neurons with glowing synapses set against a dark background.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 25/08/2026
@nafshordi.bsky.social and Phil Halper surveyed 1,675 physicists on ten of the big unanswered questions. Ghazal Geshnizjani and @seanmcarroll.bsky.social joined them to go through the results.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 21/08/2026
Jordan Scharnhorst is one of our new FQxI Fellows. He’s joining us for Foundational Answers, a programme taking stock of progress on 10 major topics in foundational science and identifying the questions still open. A part of that work is adversarial collaboration. Jordan explains what that means.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 14/08/2026
How big can something be and still be quantum? FQxI member Markus Aspelmeyer and colleagues have demonstrated optical measurement and feedback cooling of a 6-microgram superconducting sphere levitated in a magnetic trap. Read the paper: journals.aps.org/prapplied/ab... @iqoqi-vienna.bsky.social
journals.aps.org
Optical interferometric readout of a magnetically levitated superconducting microsphere
We probe the motion of a 6-$\text{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{g}$ magnetically levitated superconducting microsphere using optical interferometry at $3\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, achieving a…
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 11/08/2026
There’s a total solar eclipse on August 12! The Sun will be completely covered in Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia and parts of Spain, with a partial eclipse visible across a much wider area. It’s also the day of a six-planet morning lineup and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. VIA: NASA
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 07/08/2026
Some physicists believe that the future can influence the past. For someone hearing that for the first time... it sounds pretty crazy. We spoke briefly to Matthew Leifer about how that can possibly be true!
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 04/08/2026
Complete the universe...
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Quanta Magazine @quantamagazine.org · 30/07/2026
When Fields Medalist Yu Deng and collaborators Zaher Hani and Xiao Ma solved David Hilbert’s 124-year-old “sixth problem,” it took months for the rest of the mathematical community to even start to digest it
quantamagazine.org
Yu Deng Wins the Fields Medal 2026 for His Work on the Random Data Problem | Quanta Magazine
Before he won a Fields Medal for his pioneering work balancing randomness and order, Yu Deng first had to achieve equilibrium in his own life.
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Paul Guinnessy @paulguinnessy.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Congratulations to Hannah Fry on a well deserved award!
maths.cam.ac.uk
Professor Hannah Fry wins Leelavati Prize | Features: Faculty Insights
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 31/07/2026
One for the Montréal crowd: quantum physics, consciousness, agency and AI come together at ÉTS on August 11. Featuring Charles Alexandre Bédard in the Quanta Session. Registration required: www.etsmtl.ca/en/events/qu...
etsmtl.ca
From Quanta to Qualia
Jointly organized by ÉTS Montréal and the Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI), with the participation of ÉTS's Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering, the event on August 11 is intended for…
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 30/07/2026
1/4 How do you escape the "parallel universe of fake papers?" @nicolakimjones.bsky.social spoke with Ilka Agricola, chair of the IMU's committee on publishing and a physicist and mathematician at the University of Marburg, in Germany. Full story: qspace.fqxi.org/articles/281...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 27/07/2026
Meet our new Foundational Fellows: Jordan Scharnhost, Caroline Jones, Nuriya Nurgalieva, Lucy James, Jennifer Rittenhouse, Joseph Schindler
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 23/07/2026
A corridor chat with Chris Smeenk, professor at @westernu.ca, about correcting common misunderstandings about the Big Bang and the early universe. Chris' research centres around the scientific method and the nature of our knowledge of physics.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 20/07/2026
A word from our cofounder Anthony Aguirre on the Foundational Answers Workshop at Broughton Hall, the launch of a new FQxI program exploring what 20 years of asking the big questions in physics and cosmology have actually taught us. Keep your eyes peeled for more soon!
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 17/07/2026
The levels in this horror game are generated on a real quantum computer. We asked Moth's chief scientist, @decodoku.bsky.social, how that works. Find out how it works: qspace.fqxi.org/news/165325/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 13/07/2026
Lots of research papers come out every year. A growing number are fakes. [THREAD]
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 07/07/2026
@chanda.blacksky.app explains how Sankofa, the idea of going back and getting what we’ve forgotten, connects to cosmology, Black history, and the origins of the universe.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 03/07/2026
[IMAGE THREAD] Are we being too cheeky saying nothing is real until it is observed? Let us know.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 30/06/2026
Decades of BBC science docs, and now a channel of his own. Go subscribe: qspace.fqxi.org/news/165324/... @jimalkhalili.bsky.social
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 26/06/2026
(thread) FQxI's Ekkehard Peik (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB) came up with the nuclear clock back in 2003, then waited nearly twenty years for anyone to build one. This June, his own team finally did. Full story: qspace.fqxi.org/news/165323/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 22/06/2026
New paper from our members David Deutsch, Chiara Marletto and Vlatko Vedral: "Tests of constructor theory." It lays out how the theory can actually be tested, with some of the experiments already done. 🔗 Find out more: qspace.fqxi.org/news/165322/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 12/06/2026
Michael Montague won 3rd place in our essay competition, “How Quantum Is Life?”, which awarded $53,000 across anonymously submitted entries. This is a clip from our interview with Michael. You can listen to the podcast featuring more of the winners, below.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 12/06/2026
Michael Montague is a microbiologist @quantumbiodao.bsky.social and 3rd-prize winner in our "How Quantum is Life?" essay competition.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 05/06/2026
We Interviewed Harry Kumar, co-founder of Moth Quantum, at SXSW after hearing their talk on their new game 'Quantum Backrooms'.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 29/05/2026
This game runs on a quantum computer! It’s a nod to the Backrooms internet aesthetic, popularised by online communities. mothquantum.com/quantumbackr...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 27/05/2026
Joshua Deutsch on why FQxI helps make space for fundamental questions that don’t fit the usual funding priorities.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 21/05/2026
Nicola Jones spoke to arXiv's steward Greg Morrisett on why arXiv is becoming an independent non-profit after 35 years, and how it aims to tackle AI slop. Full article on QSpace: qspace.fqxi.org/articles/285...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 18/05/2026
Gabriela Frajtag is twenty years old and won the Undergraduate Special Prize in FQxI's $53,000 USD essay competition. Listen to the full podcast: qspace.fqxi.org/podcasts/129... Watch Gabriela's video chat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN9U... Read Gabriela's essay: qspace.fqxi.org/competitions...
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Institute of Physics @iop.org · 18/05/2026
We're recruiting for two roles! Personal Assistant to the Group Chief Financial Officer (Group CFO) and Director of Membership & Inclusion (Maternity Cover) 📅 Apply by 28 May 🔗 bit.ly/43e2Kjc Lead - Ireland and Northern Ireland (Maternity Cover) 📅 Apply by 28 May 🔗 bit.ly/4tRgxYc
Text reading "Institute of Physics. Join us!" on a colourful geometric background with shades of red, blue, and green.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 11/05/2026
THREAD: Why did a US$3-million-winning result leave one physicist feeling like Peanut’s character Charlie Brown, scuppered from kicking the football at the last second by his friend Lucy? qspace.fqxi.org/news/165320/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 06/05/2026
Four FQxI members have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations to @bousso.bsky.social, Hiranya Peiris, Doris Tsao, and James Owen Weatherall. qspace.fqxi.org/news/165321/...
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 02/05/2026
THREAD: Funding agencies, AI, and even scientists themselves favor tried-and-tested research avenues over exploring new ideas, to the detriment of progress. Full piece by @georgemusser.com → qspace.fqxi.org/articles/284... Featuring: @carlbergstrom.com, @cbo.bsky.social and @dashunwang.bsky.social
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Bob Coecke @coecke.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The world needs opposites to get along, work together...music is a good way to do so.
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FQxI @fqxi.org · 23/04/2026
Industrial electronics and classical piano on the same stage at the Holywell Music Room, one of the oldest concert venues in Europe. Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin, Bob Coecke and Bruce Warner closed out the Oxford Quantum Centenary Conference. qspace.fqxi.org/videos/566/i...
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Sesh Nadathur @seshnadathur.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
An exciting astronomy milestone was hit last night, as DESI completed its original 5-year survey mapping 40 million galaxies in the night sky! DESI continues operation, now aiming for an 8-year survey and ~60 million galaxies. 🔭🧪 #cosmology newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/04/15/d...
newscenter.lbl.gov
DESI Completes Planned 3D Map of the Universe and Continues Exploring
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has completed its originally planned five-year mission and will continue.
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