© Pint of Science, 2026. All rights reserved.
Shake up your Tuesday night.
Pint of Science brings researchers into the pub to explore the quantum frontier — from the powerful forces shaping galaxies and black holes to emerging quantum technologies that could transform computing, energy and materials.
Join us for a relaxed Tuesday evening where you can grab a drink and some food, hear from scientists, ask questions, and be part of the conversation — no science background required.
Pint of Science brings researchers into the pub to explore the quantum frontier — from the powerful forces shaping galaxies and black holes to emerging quantum technologies that could transform computing, energy and materials.
Join us for a relaxed Tuesday evening where you can grab a drink and some food, hear from scientists, ask questions, and be part of the conversation — no science background required.
Disentangling Galaxy Light: A Messy Galaxy–Supermassive Black Hole Relationship
Vanessa Porchet
(I am a PhD candidate in Astrophysics at QUT, investigating how accreting supermassive black holes shaped galaxy evolution over the past 9 billion years. I also contribute to science communication through planetarium programs and STEM initiatives, with a focus on accessibility and inclusion.)
Most galaxies host a central supermassive black hole. While their interplay is well recognised, the processes driving their co-evolution remain poorly constrained.
I will discuss how multiwavelength observations can be used to disentangle galaxy emission and isolate the imprint of supermassive black hole activity. By analysing diverse galaxy populations across cosmic time, we can characterise how accretion activity influences fundamental properties, including the regulation of star formation, and shapes their host galaxies.
I will discuss how multiwavelength observations can be used to disentangle galaxy emission and isolate the imprint of supermassive black hole activity. By analysing diverse galaxy populations across cosmic time, we can characterise how accretion activity influences fundamental properties, including the regulation of star formation, and shapes their host galaxies.
Quantum batteries and their applications in quantum computing
Alexander Nguyen
(Postdoctoral researcher at CSIRO in the Quantum Batteries Team.)
Quantum batteries are an emerging form of technology set to revolutionize energy storage. Quantum batteries utilize quantum entanglement to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge/discharge a battery as the number of batteries increases. This can have profound applications in quantum computing such as reducing the amount of time needed to perform computations.
Designing materials one defect at a time
Carla Verdi
(Carla Verdi is a Lecturer at the University of Queensland and a computational physicist using quantum mechanics and supercomputers to design new materials. She did her PhD at Oxford and worked in Oxford, Vienna and Sydney before moving to Brisbane.)
We often think materials should be as perfect as possible, but in reality imperfections are where the magic happens. In this talk, we'll explore how tiny defects at the atomic scale can completely change how materials behave, from emitting single particles of light to becoming superconducting, and how we can use theory and simulations to understand and design them.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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