Ivette Fuentes: Quantum Gravity Predictions We Can Test Today
episodePreviously titled “Ivette Fuentes: The Breakthrough We Can Test Right Now” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026
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What is the “third way” to quantum gravity that Ivette Fuentes proposes?
I like to hear something that sounds impossible and then try to be creative and find a way to go around the hurdles and make it possible.
String theory, loop quantum gravity. Do you have a preference between those two?
I see a third way. I think you have to change both in order to bring them together. I'm taking some steps towards that. It's like completely mine, an approach of myself.
It's often said that fundamental physics has been stuck for decades because the experiments required to probe quantum gravity need galaxy-sized accelerators. And billions of dollars, etc. You've heard this before. Professor Yvette Fuentes works in relativistic quantum information, combining quantum field theory with curved space-time to answer questions we weren't able to answer before. She's repeatedly predicted effects that were later verified in labs, such as how the quantum vacuum induces geometric phases, how to use the dynamical Casimir effect to implement quantum gates, and how superconducting circuits can be used to study physics at the intersection of quantum physics and relativity. I'm Kurt Jaimungle, and on this channel I interview researchers about their theories of reality with rigor and technical depth.
I'm so excited to speak with Yvette Fuentes. This is the second time. The first time I spoke with her, it went viral, and that will be listed in the description. Professor Fuentes also hinted in this episode that she's developing what's called a third way to quantum gravity, modifying both quantum mechanics and general relativity instead of forcing one to dominate the other. After years of wrestling with this new model, it turned out surprisingly simple. making her wonder how she missed something that was staring her in the face all along. Yvette, it's great to have you back on. Thank you for coming.
No, on the contrary, thank you so much for having me back.
Your city is lovely. I'm here in Oxford, it's cold. We're wearing coats if as you can see.
Yes, well I actually live in London. But I visit Oxford once in a while. I have a PhD student here. So Melanie, who's over there. So I I come and I will I'm in um a fellow in Keble College here in Oxford, but my main position is at the University of Southampton. Uh but I I come once in a while here to Oxford and I agree that it's lovely. Actually my s my my son is uh uh studying here.
What is he studying?
Uh philosophy of um no philosophy just he just got started. I was gonna say philosophy of physics, but that's his first essay is going to be on philosophy of physics. Yes, which I thought it was uh nice.
Okay, so bring us up to speed. The viewers who are watching this now have watched most likely have watched our first podcast together. For those who haven't, can you tell them what our first podcast was about and then where your mind is now?
Yes. Well, I think uh uh the first podcast was covering many different topics. Um uh covering sort of a little like the evolution of of my career maybe or my thoughts in the Interface of quantum mechanics and and general relativity. I think I was making a a big point on how uh we need experiments to guide us. So I'm a theoretician. Um but I love experiments and I my background is in quantum optics. So I that's a really privileged field that has, you know, like this. Interaction between theoreticians and experimentalists on like uh you know everyday basis people can work together. And I think that's why the field of like quantum technologies and quantum optics has made so much progress because you really have you know both the theory and the experiment working together.
So I've been kind of trying to bring this um to to the interface of quantum mechanics and and and general relativity.
So you're a theorist and an experimentalist or just a theorist?
No, I'm just a theorist that likes to propose experiments. I like to talk to experimentalists. I also like to talk to philosophers, by the way. But um uh no no, I'm I'm like um a theoretician.
Does that make you a phenomenologist or is that different?
Oh no, that's d I guess that's different because I I do like, you know, theory uh well, now I'm building like a a new uh a a new theory.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the “third way” to quantum gravity that Ivette Fuentes proposes?
0:00–9:22
2
How does the quantum vacuum induce a Berry phase and why does it matter?
9:22–18:21
3
What is the dynamical Casimir effect and how can it be used for quantum gates?
18:21–25:37
4
Is physics currently stagnating, and what evidence challenges that view?
25:37–33:00
5
How does the “third way” aim to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity?
33:00–49:28
6
What is entanglement and why is it fundamentally different from classical correlations?
49:28–56:46
7
Why is entanglement observer‑dependent in relativistic settings?
56:46–1:06:30
8
What practical advice does Ivette give to students pursuing theoretical physics?
1:06:30–1:06:41
Speakers
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