This weekend, London’s Exhibition Road will be closed to vehicles as the notable museums and institutions in South Kensington come together for the Great Exhibition Road Festival.

As part of a variety of free activities slated for this occasion, three researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) will take the stage to tackle a curious inquiry: what is the strangest thing in the universe?

For ICL research fellow Mariana Carrillo Gonzalez, the answer lies well beyond our planet.

“My focus is on black holes,” she explains.

Black holes are areas in space where matter has imploded, creating such an intense gravitational pull that not even light can escape.

Mariana elaborates on a significant challenge that scientists face in understanding them.

“We still do not understand how they function.

“We can’t directly observe them; we only see the effects they have. We watch the light bending around a black hole, and we see how it distorts space and influences movements… but we can’t actually see one since nothing can escape its grasp.

“We can confirm their existence, but what lies within remains a mystery,” she adds.

“I find that incredibly bizarre.”

In contrast, Rita Ahmadi contends that her research niche is even more peculiar – “I specialize in quantum physics, particularly the study of subatomic particles.

“The behavior of these particles diverges from the classical physics that governs our everyday experience, thus the rules are different,” the postdoctoral researcher states.

This includes phenomena such as “the ability to exist in two different states simultaneously, a concept known as superposition,” and the unique observation challenges where “any attempt to observe a quantum system alters its state.”

Rita notes that these strange characteristics indicate “the mathematics of quantum mechanics is consistently effective, demonstrating that the theoretical framework holds… yet we still struggle to comprehend its implications.”

Despite this, quantum science is regarded as crucial for the future.

“My research centers on quantum computing, where I am developing devices based on this technology, even if I am doubtful of its coherence.”

The third researcher participating is Fernando Ernesto Rosas De Andraca, who delves into another complex subject.

“I consider human consciousness to be the strangest phenomenon I can imagine,” he shares.

“We suspect that the brain somehow generates consciousness but it’s widely believed that individual neurons do not possess consciousness.

“So, you compile these tiny, non-conscious parts, and somehow they become conscious, which is quite perplexing.”

He further highlights the paradox that “the only thing you can be certain of is your own consciousness, yet it’s something that remains unseen and unverifiable by others.”

Additionally, Fernando expresses his fascination with artificial intelligence (AI), admitting, “I’ve become entirely engrossed in it.”

“While the consensus is that current AI systems lack consciousness… many would acknowledge there’s no definitive reason to assert they will never possess it, which raises the intriguing possibility that they might one day achieve consciousness,” he continues.

“This leads us to a new realm of concerns, such as the ethical implications of creating a system that could potentially experience suffering.”

Such existential discussions form part of the festival’s mission to celebrate science and the arts for attendees of all ages through engaging activities, including insect yoga, quantum discos, and robotics.

“We constantly strive to find innovative and imaginative ways to present the topics we investigate at Imperial,” remarks James Romero, one of the festival’s organizers from the university.

“In this case, we are encouraging researchers to adapt the public lecture style into something more dynamic and introduce a competitive twist.”

After the three researchers present their insights, the audience will vote to determine which phenomenon they consider the strangest in the universe.

“We had anticipated the researchers might hold back on the competitive spirit, but that’s clearly not the case,” James remarks, having listened to their arguments.

“I come from Oxford,” Rita interjects. “I take debates quite seriously.”

The debate titled The Weirdest Object in the Universe is free to attend and will take place at Imperial College London’s Sir Alexander Fleming Building at 15:30 BST on Saturday.