The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) will be well represented at the third annual TEDxWaterloo on Wednesday March 21.
IQC postdoctoral fellow Krister Shalm is one of a dozen featured speakers at TEDxWaterloo, though the term "speaker" might not quite sum up Shalm's contribution.
A quantum optics researcher by day and a Lindy Hopper by night, Shalm's presentation at TEDxWaterloo is expected to bridge his passions in a truly original blend of science, music and dance.
The third annual TEDxWaterloo, to be held at Kitchener's Centre in the Square, is subtitled "DIS CONNECTED," and will broadly explore questions of how we connect with the world around us.
Among the 11 other speakers at the day-long event are mental health advocate Alicia Raimundo, graphic novelist Scott Chantler, round-the-world walker Jean Béliveau, and teenager Mathew Ho, who sent a Lego man into space.
IQC will also host interactive quantum demos in the foyer of the concert hall, as part of an exhibition that traces the path of innovation from pure research to commercialization — an apt theme in entrepreneurial Waterloo Region.
TEDxWaterloo is a locally organized offshoot of the popular TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Talks, which draw millions of online viewers.
IQC Executive Director Raymond Laflamme delivered a talk at the inaugural TEDxWaterloo in 2010.