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From 7–10 April 2026, the 56th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days will once again bring together doctoral researchers of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg. The Graduate Days, which take place biannually, offer advanced students and researchers a biannual spring/autumn school featuring different topics from various fields of physics.
The Graduate Days reflect the breadth of modern physics, shaped by outstanding speakers and their fields of expertise: from the evolution of the Dark Universe with John A. Peacock, primordial gravitational waves explored by David James Weir, and future perspectives on the Higgs Boson presented by Freya Blekman, to quantum simulations with ultracold atoms by Christian Groß, holographic dualities introduced by Johanna Erdmenger, and the physics of field theories discussed by Dr. Aaron Held.
The programme further spans applied and interdisciplinary perspectives: from magnetic materials for sustainable energy with Katharina Ollefs, fusion research with Felix Warmer, soft matter and biophysics explored by Jan Kierfeld, to environmental and ocean physics using isotopic tracers with Anne-Marie Wefing.
A special highlight of the program is the Hans Jensen Invited Lecture, delivered by Jesse Thaler on “Centaur Science: Adventures in AI + Physics”.
As a public lecture, this talk opens the Graduate Days beyond HGSFP and invites a wider audience to engage with the growing interplay between artificial intelligence and fundamental physics.
Further perspectives connecting fundamental research and real-world applications are contributed by Martin Pauly of exnaton in the industry lecture.
Further information: