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Caltech
Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics

Welcome

Welcome to the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics. True to the groundbreaking discoveries that have marked theoretical physics at Caltech, the Burke Institute will strengthen Caltech's leading role in humanity's quest to discover fundamental laws of nature and to explain natural phenomena at all scales—from subatomic, atomic, and molecular scales to the scales of celestial objects and the universe itself. Read more

Awards and Honors

All News
March 4, 2026
Elias Most Named 2026 Sloan Fellows
January 9, 2026
Preskill is a 2025 Highly Cited Researcher
August 1, 2024
Kitaev Wins Henri Poincaré Prize

News and Media Highlights

All News
February 9, 2026
John Preskill on NISQ, FTQC & Quantum's Future
January 9, 2026
Kim Berghaus featured in "Biggest breakthroughs in physics:2025"
October 9, 2025
New Directors Appointed to Burke Institute and Leinweber Forum

Seminars

All Events
April 9, 2026 2:00 pm

Special TAPIR Seminar

The emergence of globular clusters and globular-cluster-like dwarfs at the EDGE of galaxy formation
Ethan Taylor, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey, UK,
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April 10, 2026 11:00 am

High Energy Theory Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Scattering on the Coulomb Branch of N=4 SYM
Kelian Häring, University of Amsterdam,
April 10, 2026 1:00 pm

High Energy Physics Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
A unified approach to the self force problem
Ira Rothstein, Carnegie Mellon University,
Hirosi Ooguri headshot
  • Faculty Interview

Hirosi Ooguri

Science Communication: A Conversation with Hirosi Ooguri

Read More About Hirosi Ooguri
Jason Alicea
  • Faculty Interview

Jason Alicea

From Theory to Reality: An Interview with Jason Alicea

Read More About Jason Alicea
Kathryn Zurek
  • Faculty Interview

Kathryn Zurek

Shining New Light on Dark Matter

Read More About Kathryn Zurek
Cliff Cheung
  • Faculty Interview

Cliff Cheung

The Miracle and Beauty of Physics: An Interview with Cliff Cheung

Read More About Cliff Cheung
Philip Hopkins
  • Faculty Interview

Philip Hopkins

Interactions in Space: An Interview with Philip Hopkins

Read More About Philip Hopkins
Barry Simon
  • Faculty Interview

Barry Simon

Lifetime of Numbers: Q&A with Barry Simon

Read More About Barry Simon
Xie Chen
  • Faculty Interview

Xie Chen

Quantum Information Meets Condensed Matter: Inside the Mind of Xie Chen

Read More About Xie Chen
Fernando Brandão
  • Faculty Interview

Fernando Brandão

The Power of Entanglement: A Conversation with Fernando Brandão

Read More About Fernando Brandão

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