As part of the Life Solved Live series , the University of Portsmouth is set to host an enlightening event delving into advanced materials, their role in innovations from skyscrapers to artificial hearts, and the quantum breakthroughs transforming modern science.
Life Solved Live: Inaugural Lectures, celebrates the achievements of professors and the impact of their work.
On Wednesday 11 June 2025, staff, students and community members will be invited to attend Life Solved Live: Advanced Alloys and Quantum Leaps , an event aimed at highlighting the real-world impact of research and the motivations behind it.
Professor Soran Birosca from the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Technology will explore metallurgy as the foundation on which modern technology is built during his lecture, Metallurgy At The Heart of Engineering.
He will highlight the steel frameworks that support our cities through high-performance alloys in aerospace, energy systems and biomedical devices.
Professor Birosca said: "As a key enabler of breakthroughs in mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, and even environmental engineering, metallurgy is critical in designing materials that are lighter, stronger, more durable, and more sustainable.
"I'll explain how 'material design by characterisation' drives my research group's efforts in developing new alloys and enhancing the mechanical and physical properties of advanced materials used in critical applications.
"I see the ability to understand and predict microstructure and material property as not just a scientific goal, but a foundational requirement for designing innovative materials, advancing manufacturing technologies, and pushing boundaries."
Professor Vincenzo Tamma from the School of Mathematics and Physics in the Faculty of Technology will also share his expertise to discuss what has happened since the first quantum revolution brought a new understanding of the physics behind everything we observe during his lecture, When The Physics Behind Quantum Phenomena Meets Quantum Technologies.
Professor Tamma, who will also discuss the nature of the Universe itself, said: "Phenomena like quantum superposition - the ability of a particle to be in two states at the same time - have been puzzling scientists around the world, including Einstein, ever since the first quantum revolution.
"With the advent of the second quantum revolution, quantum phenomena have triggered a global development of technologies, with the capability to provide strategic benefits to the security, health, and well-being of our society.
"I will describe how the research in quantum optics in my group at our UoP Quantum Science and Technology Hub is key towards achieving the ultimate precision in measuring physical parameters, such as time, position, and colour.
"This has applications in biology, medicine, engineering, navigation, astronomy, and environmental sensing, as well as reaching an exponential quantum computational speed-up beyond the capacity of classical computers."
The event will take place at the University of Portsmouth's Portland Building on Wednesday 11 June, between 6:00pm-8:30pm.
