Physicists simplify the universe by studying closed systems. However, philosopher of physics Karim Thébault argues that embracing the openness of physical systems can lead to a better understanding of the world. Join Karim as he outlines this exciting new research program, focusing on the possibility that open quantum systems provide a more fundamental understanding of the world, as opposed to closed systems.

Physicists break the universe down into digestible chunks. Systems whose behaviour can be described in isolation from everything else. The systems studied by physics can be as big as a galaxy cluster or as small as an electron trapped in a magnetic field. What is important is that on the relevant time scale and to the relevant degree of accuracy a system can be effectively described by equations that make references to the system on its own.