Public Lectures

Physics for the Inquiring Mind

KITP Public Lectures connect you with people and research that is transforming our understanding of the universe. This popular series of 3-4 public lectures each year takes advantage of the presence of the many distinguished scientists who visit KITP to collaborate on the most fascinating and challenging questions in their fields.

Image showing KITP Public Lectures happening on stage

Speakers have included, among others, Conny Aerts, Peter Galison, Asimina Arvanitaki, Murray Gell-Mann, John Grunsfeld, Stephen Hawking, Robert Kirshner, Nathan Lewis, and M. Cristina Marchetti. Talks have ranged from how stars ring, projects at the large hadron collider (LHC), how the brain works, challenges for global energy, the potential in the human genome, and black holes.

Friends of KITP receive priority seat reservations, and an informal reception follows each lecture.

 

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The Force of Nothing: Attraction, Repulsion, and Motion in the Quantum Void

 

Speaker: Mehran Kardar
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Time: Reception at 5:00 PM | Talk at 6:00 PM
Location: Kohn Hall, Lagoon Rd, UC Santa Barbara, CA | Zoom Webinar
 

 

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KITP Public Lectures Archive

Event Information
The Search for Habitable Environments in the Solar System
Speaker: Dan McCleese
Date: 2005-07-13
Watch Talk
Albert Einstein the Peacenik
Speaker: Larry Badash
Date: 2005-04-27
Watch Talk
Genetic Predispositions for Cancers in Humans
Speaker: Arnold J. Levine
Date: 2005-02-02
Watch Talk
From photons to perception: A physicist looks at the brain
Speaker: William Bialek
Date: 2004-09-01
Watch Talk
Finding Planets and Searching for Life: Worthy Goals for 21st Century Science
Speaker: Charles Beichman
Date: 2004-03-03
Watch Talk
The Interplay Between Art and Physics: Altering Perceptions of Reality
Speaker: Jean-Pierre Hébert
Date: 2003-09-10
Watch Talk
The Human Genome Project, where do we go from here?
Speaker: Arnold J. Levine
Date: 2003-06-11
Watch Talk
Neutrinos Get under Your Skin!
Speaker: Boris Kayser
Date: 2003-04-30
Watch Talk
New Eyes for Space Exploration: Upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope
Speaker: John M. Grunsfeld
Date: 2002-10-03
Watch Talk
The World's Numerical Recipe
Speaker: Frank Wilczek
Date: 2002-04-03
Watch Talk
Building Things With Atoms: A Report From The Small Frontier
Speaker: Don Eigler
Date: 2001-12-12
Watch Talk
You Say You Want a Revolution: Planetary Systems Different from Our Own
Speaker: Geoffrey W. Marcy
Date: 2001-10-17
Watch Talk
This Particular Elegant Universe: How Do We Measure It?
Speaker: Melissa Eve Bronwen Franklin
Date: 2001-01-31
Watch Talk
Mr. Feynman's Quantum Mechanics: A Field Guide for Curious Characters
Speaker: Steven M. Girvin
Date: 2000-11-01
Watch Talk
The Future of Gravity
Speaker: James B. Hartle
Date: 2000-04-12
Watch Talk