Some of the worldB次元官网网址檚 brightest minds are gathering at a hotel conference centre in Vancouver this week to try to solve a question that has baffled physicists for decades.

The two pillars of modern physics B次元官网网址� the theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity B次元官网网址� have been used respectively to describe how matter behaves, as well as space, time and gravity.

The problem is that the theories donB次元官网网址檛 appear to be compatible, said Peter Galison, a professor in history of science and physics at Harvard University.

B次元官网网址淭hese theories canB次元官网网址檛 just harmoniously live in splendid isolation, one from the other. We know our account of the world is inadequate until we figure out how to make them play nicely together,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview after giving a talk on how black holes fit into the equation.

Galison is among several leading thinkers who arrived at the Quantum Gravity Conference for the launch a new global research collaborative known as the Quantum Gravity Institute in Vancouver.

While speakers at the conference are primarily scientists, including Nobel laureates Jim Peebles, Sir Roger Penrose and Kip Thorne, those behind the institute come from less likely fields.

The Quantum Gravity Society represents a group of business, technology and community leaders. Founding members include Frank Giustra of Fiore Group, Terry Hui of Concord Pacific, Paul Lee and Moe Kermani of Vanedge Capital and Markus Frind of Frind Estate Winery. They are joined by physicists Penrose, Abhay Ashtekar, Philip Stamp, Bill Unruh and Birgitta Whaley.

Hui, who studied physics as part of his undergraduate degree, said organizing the conference and launching the institute felt like fulfilling a childhood dream.

Hui said he wanted to help and saw his role as philanthropic, adding he believed it would benefit Vancouver economically.

As a non-local and the founder of the Black Hole Initiative at Harvard, Galison said heB次元官网网址檚 happy to see more interdisciplinary support for exploring some of the biggest questions in science.

He called the conference an interesting event for bringing together people in technology and venture capitalism with scientists from varied fields. The launch of the institute is also meaningful, he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 also a kickoff event for something much bigger and longer-lasting.B次元官网网址�

As for the central question of the conference, Galison said itB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity to explore where the theories overlap and where they donB次元官网网址檛 from different angles.

B次元官网网址淥ne place they intersect is clearly at the beginning of the universe, early cosmology, because when energy is incredibly compressed, when you have enormous energy densities, youB次元官网网址檙e at the limit where the bending of space and time creates so much energy that quantum effects come into play,B次元官网网址� he said.

The theory of quantum mechanics, introduced in the 1920s, entered a world already shaken by Albert EinsteinB次元官网网址檚 theory of relativity, which inspired responses not just from scientists but from poets and philosophers, he said.

B次元官网网址淭hat these things are not compatible is really unnerving,B次元官网网址� Galison said.

Cracking the code for why isnB次元官网网址檛 something that will happen in a moment, a week or a year, he said.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a tremendous amount of work,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 more like building a cathedral than throwing up a bicycle shed.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擜my Smart, The Canadian Press