Schedule

DAY 1, Mon. Aug. 15th

08:45 – Introduction
09:00 – Specialized Session: THEORETICAL QUANTUM GRAVITY I
William G. Unruh30 min.
Philip Stamp30 min.
BREAK20 min.
Clifford Cheung30 min.
Julio Parra-Martinez30 min.
Discussion40 min.
12:00 – Mid-day BREAK & Informal Discussion
13:40 – Specialized Session: THEORETICAL QUANTUM GRAVITY II
Abhay Ashtekar40 min.
Steven B. Giddings30 min.
BREAK20 min.
John F. Donoghue30 min.
Steve Carlip30 min.
Discussion50 min.
17:00 – Free Time

DAY 2, Tue. Aug. 16th

09:00 – Specialized Session: DIVERSE THEMES
K. Birgitta Whaley30 min.
Michael Wright30 min.
BREAK20 min.
Anatoly Svidzinsky30 min.
Renate Loll30 min.
Discussion50 min.
12:10 – Mid-day BREAK & Informal Discussion
14:00 – Specialized Session: QUANTUM COSMOLOGY
Alexander Vilenkin30 min.
Gary Hinshaw30 min.
BREAK20 min.
Informal debate: key issues in cosmology30 min.
Discussion60 min.
16:50 – Free Time

DAY 3, Wed. Aug. 17th (Keynote Day)

08:00 – Registration Opens, Foyer, Westin Bayshore Hotel
09:00 – Opening of Inaugural Quantum Gravity Society Conference
09:10 – Plenary Session 1: BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE
Moderated by: William G. Unruh
Viatcheslav Mukhanov – Theoretical Physicist and Cosmologist, University of Munich
Suzanne T. Staggs – Experimental Cosmologist, Princeton University
10:15 – Plenary Session 2: THE BLACK HOLE STORY
Peter Galison – Historian and Philosopher of Science, Harvard University
10:45 – Refreshments
11:00 – Plenary Session 3: STORY OF THE UNIVERSE
Moderated by: William G. Unruh
P.J.E. Peebles – 2019 Nobel Laureate, Princeton University
Baron Martin Rees – Cosmologist and Astrophysicist, University of Cambridge (via Zoom)
Sir Roger Penrose – 2020 Nobel Laureate, University of Oxford (via Zoom)
12:15 – BREAK
12:30 – VIP Lunch Session: QUANTUM GRAVITY – WHY SHOULD WE CARE? (Luncheon ticket holders)
Fireside Chat with QGS Founders
Remarks by Kip S. Thorne (2017 Nobel Laureate, Executive Producer of blockbuster film “Interstellar”), P.J.E. Peebles (2019 Nobel Laureate), and others
Location: Grand Ballroom
13:15 – Informal Debate: QUANTUM GRAVITY – WHY SHOULD WE CARE? (All registrants)
Speakers: Kip S. Thorne, P.J.E. Peebles, Philip Stamp, and others
14:15 – BREAK
14:30 – Plenary Session 4: THEORY & EXPERIMENT
Moderated by: Philip Stamp
Markus Aspelmeyer – Experimental Physicist, Quantum Optics and Optomechanics Leader, University of Vienna
Sir Roger Penrose – 2020 Nobel Laureate, University of Oxford (via Zoom)
15:30 – Refreshments
15:45 – Plenary Session 5: QUANTUM GRAVITY & TIME TRAVEL
Moderated by: Philip Stamp
Kip S. Thorne – 2017 Nobel Laureate, Executive Producer of blockbuster film “Interstellar”
16:30 – Public Discussion/Debate
17:20 – Free Time

DAY 4, Thu. Aug. 18th

09:00 – Specialized Session: THEORETICAL QUANTUM GRAVITY III
Robert M. Wald40 min.
Daniel Carney30 min.
BREAK20 min.
Yanbei Chen30 min.
Jordan Wilson-Gerow30 min.
Discussion40 min.
12:40 – Mid-day BREAK
14:00 – Specialized Session: EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM GRAVITY
Hendrik Ulbricht30 min.
Rana Adhikari30 min.
BREAK20 min.
Mark A. Kasevich30 min.
15:50 – General Discussion (on all topics)
17:00 – Private Reception, with Musicians

Day 5, Fri. Aug. 19th

09:00 – Discussion/Debate/Wrap-Up Session
This will take the form of a panel discussion, with participation of audience and possibly some external Zoom participants. It will be loose in structure. There will be presentations by several people.
11:30 – END OF MEETING
Other activities T.B.A.

Event Partners: