Scientific Controversies: Quantum Weirdness
Leading physicists debate the interpretation and implications of quantum mechanics in an accessible public forum at Pioneer Works.
Why we picked this
Pioneer Works makes cutting-edge physics feel like a conversation at a bar. Free admission in Red Hook — this is what public science should be.
Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn is one of the most interesting cultural spaces in New York — a former ironworks factory turned art and science center. Their “Scientific Controversies” series pairs working physicists to debate the biggest open questions in their field.
This edition tackles quantum mechanics: the theory that governs everything at the subatomic level and remains, a century after its discovery, deeply weird. Why does observation seem to change reality? What does “superposition” actually mean? Is the universe constantly splitting into parallel versions of itself?
The format is designed to be accessible — these are real scientists, but they’re debating, not lecturing. Free admission makes this one of the best science events in the city.