Speaker: Catalina Curceanu

Title:Seven Mysteries of Modern Physics: From Dark Matter to Parallel Universes

Abstract:

Is there anything left for the next generations of scientists to discover? This provocative question has a simple answer: absolutely yes.

In this lecture, we will explore seven of the greatest unsolved mysteries of modern physics, demonstrating how much remains to be understood and how exciting this era is for young scientists. We will delve into the search for dark matter and dark energy, the secrets hidden inside black holes, and the extreme matter in neutron stars. We will revisit the enigma of Schrödinger’s cat, discuss what we know—and don’t know—about neutrino masses, and finally, venture into one of the boldest ideas of all: the possibility of parallel universes.

This is the perfect moment to embrace science. The next big discovery might come from the curiosity of someone in this very audience.

Speaker Bio:

Catalina Curceanu was born in Transylvania, Romania, and from an early age gazed at the stars with curiosity and wonder. Today, she is a Research Director at the National Laboratories of Frascati (INFN) in Italy, where she leads a team of 20 scientists—whom she fondly calls explorers of the universe—conducting cutting-edge experiments in nuclear and quantum physics, both nationally and internationally.

She is spokesperson of the SIDDHARTA-2 collaboration (kaonic atom spectroscopy) and the VIP-2 experiment (testing the foundations of quantum mechanics), and has authored over 500 scientific publications in international journals, as well as the popular science book “From Black Holes to Hadron Therapy: A Journey into Modern Physics” (Springer – I Blu series).

Catalina coordinates numerous European and international research projects and has received several prestigious awards, including the 2016 Australian Institute of Physics Women in Physics lecturer, the 2017 Emmy Noether Distinction from the European Physical Society and the 2019 Fundamental Physics Innovation Award from the Betty Moore Foundation. In 2018, she was bestowed the Order of Cultural Merit, Knight Rank, by the President of Romania for her outstanding contributions to the exact sciences.

Catalina is passionate about sharing the beauty of physics and the wonders of the universe with everyone, convinced that science is humanity’s greatest adventure.