This event was recorded on August 5th, 2026 at Flug Forum, produced by Aspen Center for Physics, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
Quantum mechanics is one of the fundamental theories of our universe. It may seem obscure and remote from everyday life, yet it underlies the composition of matter and how it behaves – including everything you touch and work with. More than any other scientific discovery, it was the understanding of the quantum behavior of electrons in materials in the early 20th century that enabled the information age that we live in today.
In this talk Erez Berg will introduce you to the marvelous universe of quantum materials, where quantum physics plays an essential role. The lecture focuses mostly on one phenomenon – superconductivity, a phase of matter where many electrons perform an intricate collective motion, conducting electricity without any energy loss. Ned Wingreen describes the history of this phenomenon, its mind-bending characteristics, and the ongoing hunt for superconductivity that operates at room temperature – a discovery that could transform our world, from lossless power grids to levitating trains, and one whose pursuit has produced both Nobel Prizes and spectacular scandals. The talk concludes by giving a sense of what the life of a researcher in the field is like – thinking and dreaming about quantum materials all day, every day.
Erez Berg is a condensed matter theoretical physicist, interested in quantum collective behavior of particles, such as electrons in a solid. He is working on superconductivity, topological phases of matter, and quantum dynamics. He completed his BSc and MSc at the Technion, Israel, and his PhD at Stanford University, USA. Currently, he is a faculty member at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Professor Berg is a fellow of the American Physical Society. He received the 2024 André Deloro prize for scientific research, the 2019 Blavatnik award for young researchers in Israel, and the 2013 Minerva Arches prize.