AI Insight
Quantum mechanics and general relativity remain incompatible, with gravity being the central obstacle to developing a unified theory of everything. For nearly a century, physicists have attempted to reconcile gravity with quantum mechanics without success. Professor Ivette Fuentes conducts experiments at the intersection of quantum theory and general relativity to explore how these two fundamental frameworks might be integrated.
Why it matters
Resolving the incompatibility between quantum mechanics and gravity is essential for understanding the fundamental nature of reality and could lead to breakthroughs in physics. Success in this area would represent one of the most significant advances in theoretical physics since Einstein's theories.
Understand the Science
Quantum mechanics and general relativity don’t fit together, and a big part of the issue comes down to gravity. For decades, the accepted route to an ultimate theory of everything has involved taking our best theory of gravity and squeezing it into the frame of quantum mechanics. Yet, almost a century later, scientists still haven’t managed to make gravity fit. Ivette Fuentes is a professor of quantum mechanics who conducts experiments at the scales where quantum theory and general relativity interplay. Fuentes sat down with New Scientist features editor Thomas Lewton to discuss the issues and fascinating theories that pop out when we try to fit classical and quantum mechanics together.