Lee's Fest: Quantum Gravity and the Nature of Time

Jun 2, 2025, 8:00 a.m. → Jun 6, 2025, 5:00 p.m. America/Toronto

PI/1-100 - Theatre (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

 

What is time? Is it fundamental or emergent? This question lies at the foundation of contemporary physics and provides a key to unlocking some of its most challenging open problems, from quantum gravity to cosmology. The quest to understand time extends beyond the realm of physics, providing a privileged standpoint to address questions in diverse fields such as philosophy, mathematics, and computer science.

In this conference, we explore the nature of time from many different perspectives. This is the occasion to honor Perimeter’s “Master of Time,” Lee Smolin, and to celebrate his seminal scientific contributions. Lee Smolin is a founding faculty member of Perimeter Institute and a primary inspiration behind its spirit and design. This is an opportunity to journey back in time to the origins of some of the groundbreaking initiatives that Lee helped develop, and to look forward to future developments inspired by his achievements. The conference focuses on time but also on the foundations of quantum mechanics and the quest for quantum gravity, particularly Loop Quantum Gravity, of which Lee Smolin is a co-creator. In the spirit of Lee Smolin, the conference celebrates the interdisciplinary nature of the journey toward quantum gravity, with contributions from physics, mathematics, computer science, and philosophy.

 

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Scientific Organizers
Laurent Freidel (Perimeter Institute)
Maïté Dupuis (Perimeter Institute)
Dongxue Qu (Perimeter Institute)
Francesca Vidotto (Western University)

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Speakers

• Niayesh Afshordi (University of Waterloo)
• Stephon Alexander (Brown University)
• Giovanni Amelino-Camelia (University of Naples Federico II)
• Julian Barbour (Independent)
• Bianca Dittrich (Perimeter Institute)
• Fay Dowker (Imperial College)
• Avshalom Elitzur (Chapman University)
• Lucien Hardy (Perimeter Institute)
• Viqar Husain (University of New Brunswick)
• Jenann Ismael (Johns Hopkins University)
• Ted Jacobson (Maryland University)
• Jaron Lanier (Microsoft Research)
• Etera Livine (Lyon, Ecole Normale Superieure)
• João Magueijo (Imperial College London)
• Seth Major (Hamilton College)
• Carlo Rovelli (Aix-Marseille University)
• Simon Saunders (Oxford University)
• Simone Speziale (Aix-Marseille University)
• Francesca Vidotto (Western University)
• Steven Weinstein (University of Waterloo) 

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Credit: Artwork by Kaća Bradonjić

 

Mon, June 2 ¶

8:30 a.m. Registration

1 Opening Remarks¶

2 Conference Talk¶

10:30 a.m. Break

3 Conference Talk¶

12:00 p.m. Lunch

4 Conference Talk¶

2:00 p.m. Break

5 Conference Talk¶

3:30 p.m. Reception

Tue, June 3 ¶

6 Conference Talk¶

7 Conference Talk¶

8 Conference Talk¶

9 Conference Talk¶

10 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

11:00 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. Breakout Room Discussions / Unconference / Lee's Presentation

12:30 p.m. Lunch

11 Conference Talk¶

12 Conference Talk¶

13 Conference Talk¶

14 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

3:30 p.m. Break

4:00 p.m. Artistic Moment

5:00 p.m. Free Time

6:00 p.m. Banquet

Wed, June 4 ¶

15 Conference Talk¶

16 Conference Talk¶

17 Conference Talk¶

18 Conference Talk¶

19 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

11:00 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. Breakout Room Discussions / Unconference / Lee's Presentation

12:30 p.m. Lunch

20 Conference Talk¶

21 Conference Talk¶

22 Conference Talk¶

23 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

3:30 p.m. Break

4:00 p.m. Artistic Moment

5:00 p.m. Free Time

6:00 p.m. Public Lecture

Thu, June 5 ¶

24 Conference Talk¶

25 Conference Talk¶

26 Conference Talk¶

27 Conference Talk¶

28 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

11:00 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. Breakout Room Discussions / Unconference / Lee's Presentation

12:30 p.m. Lunch

29 Conference Talk¶

30 Conference Talk¶

31 Conference Talk¶

32 Q&A/Panel Discussion¶

3:30 p.m. Break

4:00 p.m. Artistic Moment

5:00 p.m. Free Time

6:00 p.m. Movie Night

Fri, June 6 ¶

Contributed Talks¶

11:00 a.m. Break

Contributed Talks¶

12:30 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m. Poster Session

4:00 p.m. Friday Social