Alex May: Building quantum bridges from gravity to cryptography

Video Description

Alex May, Murray Gell-Mann Chair in Theoretical Physics, builds bridges between quantum worlds - and sometimes real ones, too! Growing up in British Columbia, May was always building: forts in the forest, later kitchens and bathrooms in his home. Now, as a faculty member at Perimeter Institute, he explores the frontiers of quantum gravity and quantum information — two fields that can seem totally disconnected, but which may together reveal new insights into the nature of reality. His research connects cryptographic principles to deep physics, including the famed AdS/CFT correspondence — a potential key to a unified theory of the universe. Whether he's solving drywall puzzles or tackling the mysteries of space and time, May brings the same mix of curiosity, creativity, and hands-on thinking. Learn more about Perimeter’s Explorers: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/we-are-explorers-future-theoretical-physics Follow Perimeter Institute: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pioutreach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perimeterinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/perimeter-institute Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/perimeterinstitute.ca Support Theoretical Physics Research: perimeterinstitute.ca/donate