Privacy for the paranoid ones: the ultimate limits of secrecy

Join us for the Royal Society Milner Prize Lecture by Professor Artur Ekert. 
Among those who make a living from the science of secrecy, worry and paranoia are just signs of professionalism. Can we protect our secrets against those who wield superior technological powers? Can we trust those who provide us with tools for protection? Can we even trust ourselves and our own freedom of choice? Recent developments in quantum cryptography show that some of these questions can be addressed and discussed in precise and operational terms, suggesting that privacy is indeed possible under surprisingly weak assumptions. The lecture will provide an overview of how quantum entanglement, after playing a significant role in the development of the foundations of quantum mechanics, has become a new physical resource for all those who seek the ultimate limits of secrecy.
Artur Ekert is one of the pioneers of quantum information science. His invention of entanglement-based quantum cryptography has linked the foundational concepts of quantum theory with the study of secure communication. This breakthrough has sparked a surge in global research efforts and continues to inspire new research directions. Beyond his notable discovery that Bell’s inequalities can be used to detect eavesdropping, Ekert has made several seminal contributions to both the theoretical and experimental aspects of quantum communication and computation. His expertise has proven invaluable to various companies and government agencies, with whom he has actively collaborated and provided counsel. Outside academia, Ekert is a passionate scuba diving instructor and pilot.