for ansatte i SDU RIO

Speaker: Frederik Nathan (University of Copenhagen).Abstract: The current main paradigm for quantum computing — active quantum error correction (AEC) with overhead qubits — faces two challenges: Realizing long-lived logical qubits at reasonable resource cost, and achieving universal fault-tolerant quantum gates. At the root of these challenges lie two no-go theorems: The Braviy-Terhal theorems, which forbids passively-stabilized, or self-correcting, qubits in <4 dimensions, and the Eastin-Knill theorem which dictates that fault-tolerant non-Clifford gates must be generated with costly magic distillation or cultivation routines. Together, these theorems imply that even simple quantum information processing operations require continuous readout, data processing, and feedback control of very large numbers of overhead qubits. Here I illustrate how the no-go-theorems above are not as far-reaching as one could fear, but can be circumvented via an alternative paradigm for quantum computing currently gaining experimental maturity: bosonic codes (BC), which redundantly encodes a qubit in the infinite-dimensional Fock state of a single continuous variable. In particular, I will demonstrate how tuning the impedance of a simple driven-dissipative superconducting resonator to a “magic” value given by a constant of nature can lead to a self-correcting Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill qubit that supports exponentially-robust Clifford and non-Clifford gates [1,2]. [1] FN, L. O’Brien, K. Noh, M.H. Matheny, A.L. Grimsmo, L. Jiang, G. RefaelPRX Quantum 6 (3), 030352 (2025)[2] L. O'Brien, G. Refael, FN arXiv:2507.19713 (2025)

We often hear the phrase, “It’s in our DNA,” but what does that really mean? How does the information stored in our genes get read and used by our cells? Interestingly, cells do not use all of the information in their DNA at once. Different types of cells use different parts of their DNA, and some genes are only activated at certain times, such as during development or in response to stress or environmental changes. This process of reading and using genetic information is called transcription, and it must be carefully regulated and highly accurate. But how does this regulation happen? And what are the consequences if something goes wrong? Transcription takes place while many other important activities are happening in the cell, such as DNA replication or repair when the DNA is damaged. Because of this, cells have developed complex systems to manage this “gene traffic” and ensure that transcription happens smoothly and correctly. This talk will introduce the basic concepts of DNA and transcription, with a special focus on what happens when DNA is damaged—for example, by exposure to sunlight—and how cells deal with such challenges.About the speaker:Jesper Svejstrup is a Biochemist and Cell Biologist, renowned for his research on gene expression, particularly transcription and its interplay with DNA replication and repair. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1993 at Aarhus University, focusing on DNA topology, before undertaking postdoctoral work with Professor Roger Kornberg at Stanford University. There, Svejstrup uncovered a direct link between the protein complexes responsible for DNA transcription and repair, a discovery that has shaped his research trajectory. He established his independent research group at Cancer Research UK’s Clare Hall Laboratories in 1996 and, in 2015, joined the Francis Crick Institute, holding honorary professorships at UCL, Imperial College London, and Aarhus University. Since 2020, Svejstrup has served as professor and deputy chairman at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, where he directs the Center for Gene Expression, employing multidisciplinary and ‘omics’ approaches. His achievements have been recognized by election to EMBO, the Royal Society, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, and the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences. He has received two ERC Advanced Investigator Grants and the Carlsberg Foundation Research Prize, and until recently served as vice-president for Life Sciences at the European Research Council (ERC).

Speaker: Ralph Kaufmann (Purdue University).Abstract: Quantum phase transitions are a key part of the quantum landscape. These appear in mathematical systems and real materials. They are potentially useful for quantum computing and quantum sensing. In joint work with Mohamad Mousa and Birgit Kaufmann-Wehefritz, we showed that any abstract phase diagram of Chern insulators can be achieved in a continuum model. Furthermore, we gave sequences of higher Chern models built on tight-binding models exhibiting an infinite sequence of Chern numbers. In newer developments these constructions also will shed light on MPS and materials with symmetries. We also conjecture that they will be useful for quantum error correction.

Speaker: Birgit Kaufmann (Purdue University).Abstract: Quantum annealers represent an interesting approach to quantum computing, which make use of the adiabatic theorem to efficiently find the ground state of a physically realizable Hamiltonian. Such devices are currently commercially available and have been most successfully applied to several combinatorial and discrete optimization problems. However, the application of quantum annealers to problems in chemistry remains a relatively sparse area of research due to the difficulty in mapping molecular systems to the Ising Hamiltonian representing the architecture of the DWave quantum computer. In this talk, we review two different methods for finding the ground state of molecular Hamiltonians using Ising-model-based quantum annealers. In addition, we compare the relative effectiveness of each method by calculating the binding energies, bond lengths, and bond angles of the H3+ and H2O molecules and mapping their potential energy curves. We also assess the resource requirements of each method by determining the number of qubits and computation time required to simulate each molecule using various parameter values. While each of these methods is capable of accurately predicting the ground state properties of small molecules, we find that they are still outperformed by modern classical algorithms and that the scaling of the resource requirements remains a challenge.

Arrangementet afholdes på engelsk. Klik her for at læse en beskrivelse af arrangementet.

Speaker: Boris Kjær (​University of Copenhagen)Abstract:TBA

Matthew Collins (biochemistry) and Lars Boje Mortensen (literary history) will speak about CODICUM, an ERC Synergy project which spans the humanities and the sciences. Their talk will cover books and book production before the advent of paper and print (before c. 1400 / 1450).You will be able to see (and perhaps touch) a real medieval parchment book and several fragments of such books (courtesy of the SDU library)!Lars will introduce pre-modern books and their significance for intellectual and literary history – particularly within the Nordic context of CODICUM. Next, Matthew will demonstrate some of the startling research possibilities that thousand year old animal skins offer through DNA analysis and protein profiles, and the new facility at SDU. Together, these approaches will unravel new patterns of book history, intellectual networks and surprising insights and applications of “biocodicology”.

Maiken Westen Holm Svendsen forsvarer sin ph.d.-afhandling ved et offentligt foredrag: “Mod en mere sammenhængende evalueringskultur i matematikfaget på HTX – STEM-forløb mellem læring, kompetence”.Lektor Gitte Miller Balslev vil være ordstyrer ved arrangementet. Ph.d.-forsvaret finder sted i IMADA Konferencelokale (Ø18-509-2).Alle er velkomne.

Empirical evidence from scientific research is considered the most reliable source of factual information in western societies. However, our worldview and ideology can influence scientific research and its outcomes. And vice versa, the results from scientific research also influence our worldview. So how sharply can and should we strive to distinguish science and worldview? Can worldviews be completely fact free, and can science be completely factual and neutral? Probably not. I will discuss three historical and current examples from biology where science and “nonscience” meet:[list=1][*]Social Darwinism and biological evolution[*]Religious belief and biological evolution, and[*]Gender and biological sexes.[/list]Although it is usually thought that “non-science” can hinder scientific progress, I will show that sometimes the opposite has been true. For this and other reasons, I will argue that universities should have space for nonscience next to science in order to remain sanctuaries for academic freedom. However, I will also argue that we should be as clear as possible on what is science and what’s not, and on the motivations for scientists to do scientific research. This will reduce the risk of naturalistic and ideological fallacies. Duur Aanen is a professor of evolution and genetics and studies and teaches fundamental questions and concepts, such as the evolution of cooperation, the evolution of sex and cultural evolution. In his research he uses fungi as model systems of conflict and cooperation, both in interactions within and between species. His team published key studies on the evolution of the mutualistic symbiosis of fungus-growing termites and on the evolutionary stability of multicellular cooperation in fungi. In 2018, he organised a Lorentz center workshop with biologists and theologians on the acceptance of evolutionary theory, resulting in the Leiden Declaration on Evolution and Religion. Professor Aanen collaborates with social scientists, on the topic of science and world view, and on the role of science in society.

Charles Darwin’s theory profoundly challenged the prevailing worldview of his time. Most notably, it called into question the biblical account of human creation and redefined humanity’s relation to other species and to creation as a whole.Resistance to evolutionary theory on theological grounds has persisted to this day. In the United States, for example, nearly 40% of the population continues to reject the theory outright, particularly within evangelical communities. This resistance has at times led to efforts to influence educational curricula and scientific research in ways that align more closely with religious convictions. At the same time, there have also been constructive attempts to reconcile evolutionary theory with systems of faith.In our workshop, “Evolutionary Theory as an Existential Challenge for Humankind,” we will explore both the historical development and contemporary dynamics of the relationship between religion and science, using evolutionary theory as a central case study. We will also reflect on the broader existential questions raised by Darwin’s work.Agenda- 15:00 Welcome- 15:05 Prof. Norbert Krüger (SDU) [https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/dias/people/chairs/norbert-krueger]: The development of modern science and its exclusion of mankind’s existential questions- 15:30 Prof. Duur Aanan (Wageningen University, Netherlands) [https://research.wur.nl/en/persons/duur-aanen/]: The two sides of Methodological Naturalism – no scientific inferences based on metaphysics but neither metaphysical inferences based on science- 15:55 Anders Stjernholm (Ateistik Selvskab) [https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Stjernholm]: Separating life and religion: Dealing with scientific and existential questions without the concept of a God- 16:20 Hans Henrik Hjermitslev (UC-SYD) [https://www.ucsyd.dk/medarbejdere/hans-henrik-hjermitslev-hhhj]: Protestant responses to Darwinism from the 1860s to modern-day creationism- 16:45 Discussion- 17:15 End- 18:00 Joint dinner in Odense downtown

Kageklubben er et nyt og hyggeligt initiativ, der samles fire gange hvert semester med gratis kaffe, kage og godt fællesskab.Så uanset om du studerer AI, Anvendt Matematik, Datalogi, Matematik eller Matematik-Økonomi, er du inviteret.Huske at tage dine studiekammerater med (undervisere er også velkomne).Klubmøderne holdes på IMADA Forskertorv.Læs evt. mere på Facebook-gruppen IMADA-students.

Speaker: Sara Maggio (​University of Bonn)Abstract: TBA

Kageklubben er et nyt og hyggeligt initiativ, der samles fire gange hvert semester med gratis kaffe, kage og godt fællesskab.Så uanset om du studerer AI, Anvendt Matematik, Datalogi, Matematik eller Matematik-Økonomi, er du inviteret.Huske at tage dine studiekammerater med (undervisere er også velkomne).Klubmøderne holdes på IMADA Forskertorv.Læs evt. mere på Facebook-gruppen IMADA-students.

In this event we will look at how teaching can help spark students’ individual learning awareness and build engagement to help foster a strong learning community between our students.

In this event we will look at how teaching can help spark students’ individual learning awareness and build engagement to help foster a strong learning community between our students.

Kageklubben er et nyt og hyggeligt initiativ, der samles fire gange hvert semester med gratis kaffe, kage og godt fællesskab.Så uanset om du studerer AI, Anvendt Matematik, Datalogi, Matematik eller Matematik-Økonomi, er du inviteret.Huske at tage dine studiekammerater med (undervisere er også velkomne).Klubmøderne holdes på IMADA Forskertorv.Læs evt. mere på Facebook-gruppen IMADA-students.

Kageklubben er et nyt og hyggeligt initiativ, der samles fire gange hvert semester med gratis kaffe, kage og godt fællesskab.Så uanset om du studerer AI, Anvendt Matematik, Datalogi, Matematik eller Matematik-Økonomi, er du inviteret.Huske at tage dine studiekammerater med (undervisere er også velkomne).Klubmøderne holdes på IMADA Forskertorv.Læs evt. mere på Facebook-gruppen IMADA-students.

What if communication were not just something humans do, but a process through which all kinds of beings—molecules, machines, institutions, emotions, organisms, laws, and people—come to express themselves and make a difference? Drawing on my forthcoming book, “Thinking the World Communicatively: An Exploration of the More or Less,” this talk introduces a way of approaching reality that transcends the traditional boundaries between the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. I propose that to think communicatively is to examine how relations allow phenomena to manifest themselves more or less in the world.Communication, in this broad sense, encompasses electromagnetic radiation warming our skin, neurons firing, procedures shaping institutional conduct, technologies guiding attention, and people coordinating with one another. Instead of reducing the world to discourse or matter, this communicative ontology highlights how beings both act and “pass through” others. It offers scientists, scholars, and students an anti-reductionist framework for understanding truth, objectivity, materiality, agency, and power across domains, from social interaction to quantum mechanics.BiographyFrançois Cooren (PhD, Université de Montréal, 1996) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Université de Montréal, Canada. His research focuses on organizational communication, language and social interaction, as well as communication theory. He is the Past President of the International Communication Association (ICA, 2010–2011), the Past President of the International Association for Dialogue Analysis (IADA, 2012–2021), and former Editor-in-Chief of the journal Communication Theory (2005–2008). He was elected ICA Fellow in 2013, NCA (National Communication Association) Distinguished Scholar in 2017, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2024. He published 16 books (four as an author or co-author and twelve as an editor or co-editor) and authored close to 100 peer-reviewed articles and more than 60 book chapters. He is one of the founding members of what is now known as the Montreal School of Organizational Communication, a primary branch of the Communication as Constitutive of Organization (CCO) approach.

On the occasion of Ekin Demir’s attachment as adjunct professor of genome biology at the Department of Molecular Medicine, SDU, the Faculty of Health Sciences hereby invites you to attend a mini symposium and inaugural lecture.

On the occasion of Ekin Demir’s attachment as adjunct professor of genome biology at the Department of Molecular Medicine, SDU, the Faculty of Health Sciences hereby invites you to attend a mini symposium and inaugural lecture.

About the talk:Our ability to shape materials at the nanoscale opens new possibilities for, among other things, rapid diagnostics and smart medication. I will give examples from our research that encompass both new discoveries and startup stories.In the treatment of leukemia and sepsis, there is a need for therapeutic monitoring of drug concentrations in patients’ blood. Silicon structures at the nanometer scale can have surprising optical properties. For example, they can enhance the so-called Raman scattering more than a million times. This effect can be used to perform very sensitive measurements of small molecules in a complex blood sample.Our vision is that in the future we can ‘swallow our doctor’. Ingestible capsules can be made smart so that they can eventually measure, take samples, and perform local repairs/medication in the stomach and intestines. Can this be done without also having to swallow a battery, and how do you take a sample from the intestines?About the speaker:Anja Boisen is head of section and professor at the Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark. Her research group focuses on the development and application of nano-sensors, energy harvesting in the body, and ingestible devices for sensing, sampling, and delivery. Anja is a cofounder of several companies and is, among others, a member of the board of the Leo Foundation, the Danish Academy of the Technical Sciences, and the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences. She has been awarded the largest research prize in Denmark, the Villum Kann Rasmussen Award, and the Order of Dannebrog by Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark.

Experts worry that support and tolerance for political violence and violent extremist actors is on the rise in the United States.  Is this true?  If so, what might explain why more Americans view political violence to be acceptable? Finally, what can be done to stem the tide of support for political violence in the U.S. and perhaps elsewhere.  In this lecture I present some of my findings over several years of public opinion research on political violence in the United StatesJames A. Piazza is a Liberal Arts professor of Political Science whose research focuses on terrorism, political violence, and violent extremism in the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in Politics from New York University, an M.A. in Middle East Studies from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago. Piazza’s work examines how democratic processes, demographic change, and extremist ideologies shape patterns of political violence. His research has been published in leading journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Security Studies, and Political Research Quarterly, and he is widely recognized for his comparative studies of left‑wing, right‑wing, and Islamist extremism.