When you imagine a scientific conference, you might think of endless presentations and coffee breaks. But at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, things are a little different. Here, scientists don't just listen-they collaborate, debate, and design the future of their field.
That's exactly what happened during a workshop organized by physicists Semonti Bhattacharyya and Leiden graduate Remko Fermin, together with colleagues from Delft and Regensburg.
For five full days, fifty researchers from around the world and across career stages came together to discuss one of the most intriguing phenomena in physics: superconductivity-materials that conduct currents without any electrical resistance.
A week of ideas and inspiration
Rather than filling the schedule with back-to-back talks, Lorentz workshops emphasize discussion and collaboration. Small groups brainstorm, challenge each other's ideas, and sketch out new research directions. As Fermin puts it: 'It's about shaping where the field is heading next.'
Capturing the moment on film
To give others a glimpse of this process, the participants decided to create a behind-the-scenes video. Watch the video to see how scientists turn their discussion into discovery - focusing on three breakthroughs in their research fields.
Superconductivity's Next Big Leap - 3 Breakthroughs You Shouldn't Miss
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The video also aims to inspire students to dive into superconductivity research themselves. It captures both the excitement and the open-ended nature of frontier science - a field still full of mysteries.
Lorentz Center workshop organising committee
Semonti Bhattacharyya, Leiden University
Remko Fermin, alumnus and PhD Leiden University, currently Cambridge University
Maz Ali, TU Delft
Heng Wu, TU Delft
Nicola Paradiso, University of Regensburg
