Salam Distinguished Lectures 2019

Renowned physicist Juan Maldacena of the Institute for Advanced Study delivered ICTP's 2019 Salam Distinguished Lectures from 28 to 30 January 2019. For those who missed them, the three lectures are now available online:

• Lecture 1: Quantum mechanics and the geometry of spacetime
• Lecture 2: Toy models for black holes
• Lecture 3: Toy models for black holes (part two)

The lecture series is an annual presentation of talks by renowned, active scientists. The aim is to showcase important research developments as well as provide a visionary forward view. It is supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.

Maldacena has made a major contribution to our understanding of the quantum physics of black holes. In 1997, he was the first to propose a fundamental relationship between the two most important theories in modern physics: quantum field theory and quantum gravity. His work also extends into other branches of theoretical physics. For example, in 2003 he proved that cosmic background radiation must contain a very specific signature that supports the inflationary models of the creation of the universe.

Maldacena has received numerous national and international awards for his work, including the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, ICTP's Dirac Medal, and the Milner Foundation Fundamental Physics Prize. He is a member of a number of academic societies including the National Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and serves on ICTP's Scientific Council.