After Big Science: Future Directions and Breakthroughs in Physics
Coril Holdings Archimedes Chair in Theoretical Physics (Visiting)
Savas Dimopoulos investigates the trajectory of fundamental physics beyond large-scale accelerators, arguing for the ascendancy of nimble, high-precision experiments in unraveling cosmic enigmas.
What comes after the age of giant machines? The Standard Model has explained an astonishing range of phenomena with breathtaking precision—yet the deepest mysteries remain: What is dark matter? Why is gravity so weak? Why is the universe so vast? In this public lecture, Savas Dimopoulos, Coril Holdings Archimedes Chair in Theoretical Physics (Visiting), argues that the next breakthroughs will come from nimble, high-precision experiments—small teams using exquisitely sensitive tools to probe new physics.
Dimopoulos explores bold ideas—hidden extra dimensions that could dilute gravity’s strength, the possibility of a multiverse as a solution to the “why is the universe so big?” problem, and dark matter that might behave like waves. He shows how tabletop tests of gravity, quantum sensors, ultra-stable atomic clocks, gravitational-wave observatories, and clever “missing energy” signatures can reveal new particles (axions, moduli, and more) that colliders might miss.