Several open questions in fundamental physics have puzzled theoretical physicists, mathematical physicists, phenomenologists, experimentalists and even philosophers since the first half of the last century. This conference will be an opportunity to bring together world experts to share views on open problems and to inspect and challenge new ideas.

Some of the conceptual-level questions for discussion: 

• Is Nature probabilistic or deterministic (or both) at a fundamental microscopic level? 

• Do we fully understand the classical-to-quantum transition?

• What guiding principles (locality, unitarity, symmetries, causality, renormalizability,...) should be taken as starting points for formulating physical theories? How do they change when moving from infrared to ultraviolet scales?

• Which mathematical framework is best suited to build consistent theories that are applicable in unexplored regimes, e.g. in the (super-)Planckian regime?

• Is a high-energy scale-invariant fixed point really necessary for the consistency of a quantum field theory?

• Is there any strong indication and/or real need for unification of all interactions?

• Is gravity more, less or equally fundamental than other interactions? 

• Is spacetime a continuum at very short distances? 

• What can black holes teach us about quantum gravity?

• Is the Hilbert space locally finite-dimensional?

• Is there a black-hole information loss paradox?

• How can we describe the entropy transition from a volume-law to an area-law in gravitational collapse?

• Do we really need a dynamical explanation for a tiny cosmological constant?

• What is the real nature of what is usually called “dark matter”? 

• Are biological systems macroscopic manifestations of quantum field theory?

Some of the observational/experimental-level questions for discussion: 

• Can we experimentally test or rule out interpretations of quantum mechanics and deterministic alternatives?

• What can a quantum computer do for us, and how far are we from it?

• Can we trust current cosmological tensions? If so, can they teach us something new about fundamental physics?

• Can we probe pre-inflationary/pre-bigbang physics?

• How far into the past can we explore our universe using neutrinos and gravitational waves?

• Are there alternatives to Kerr black holes up in the sky?

• Would the detection of primordial gravitational waves be (in)direct evidence of the quantum nature of gravity?

• Can we detect a graviton?

• How far are we from testing the quantum nature of gravity in the lab?

The town of Campagna with its ancient origins, broad culture, mighty monuments, breathtaking landscapes, mild climate and inspiring scientific history offers a unique environment where thinkers can gather, reflect and discuss the most fundamental questions of Nature.

Campagna has already shown in the past its unique and powerful atmosphere by hosting two of the most profound thinkers, scientists and philosophers:

• Giordano Bruno who lived in Campagna in 1972-1973 and celebrated his first mass in San Bartolomeo church (see also Venue) in 1573. Bruno can be considerd the first true cosmologist thanks to his cosmological theories, in particular, he is one of the pioneers of the idea of cosmic pluralism.

• Juan Caramuel who was bishop of the Diocese of Campagna from 1657 to 1673. Caramuel is considered the first mathematician who ever conducted a reasoned study on non-decimal counts, thus contributing to the development of the binary numeral system. His pioneering studies are part of the mathematical opera "Mathesis biceps. Vetus, et nova" (Two parts of mathematics. The old, and the new) that was published in Campagna in 1670.

An electronic copy of Caramuel's Mathesis biceps (1670) can be found here. In particular, some pages can be downloaded from these links: cover, content, binary system, ternary system (see also Venue).

We hope that Campagna's unique cultural and scientific history will help provide an enjoyable and stimulating environment that can serve as a source of productive debates and new insights, thus helping deepen our understanding of the physical world.

Intriguing mathematical feature of the number 2025: it is equal to the square of the sum of the decimal-system digits and also to the sum of the cubes of the decimal-system digits

2025 for physics:

• 100 years of Modern Quantum Mechanics.

• 90 years since the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paper.

• 120 years since Einstein's theory of photoelectric effect.

• 120 years of Special Relativity.

• 110 years of General Relativity.

• 10 years since the first observation of gravitational waves.

• 30 years since the first observation of an exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star.