Quantum Mechanics Discussed in Opening Lecture

The 2025-2026 Spring Semester opening lecture of Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Arts and Sciences was held with the participation of academics and students. The guest speaker for the lecture, held at the IUE Multi-Purpose Hall, was Prof. Dr. Zafer Gedik, a faculty member from Sabancı University’s Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Centering on the intellectual legacy of John Stewart Bell, one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the 20th century, Prof. Dr. Gedik delivered a presentation addressing quantum mechanics in all its dimensions.

“A GATEWAY TO THINKING”

Speaking at the opening of the event, the Dean of IUE Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner, emphasized that opening lectures are not merely the start of an academic semester, but also a gateway to curiosity, inquiry, and interdisciplinary thinking. Highlighting that faculties of arts and sciences have the mission of building bridges between natural sciences and humanistic thought, Prof. Dr. Yetkiner said, “A field like quantum mechanics presents one of the strongest examples of this mission by bringing mathematical certainty and ontological uncertainty together in the same pot. Our faculty’s opening lecture is the ideal ground for such a discussion. This is because here, physics is handled not just with mathematical formulas, but alongside philosophy, logic, and the history of science.”

“BUILDING NEW BRIDGES”

Prof. Dr. Yetkiner concluded her speech with the following words: “The issue of hidden variables reminds us that science is the art of producing not just answers, but also good questions. I hope that our discussions build new bridges between disciplines and deepen the dialogue between physics and philosophy, theory and interpretation, and experiment and meaning.” The event concluded following a Q&A session.