On Saturday, July 19, 2025, the International Center for Quantum-field Measurement Systems for Studies of the Universe and Particles (WPI-QUP) held its 3rd Public Science Lecture at the Tsukuba International Congress Center, with over 120 participants.

The lecture, “Do Apples Fall Down in a Mirror Universe? — Antimatter and Gravity,” explored cutting-edge research in fundamental physics, focusing on how antimatter behaves under gravity. The event opened with an introduction of QUP by Prof. Toshiyuki Azuma, Deputy Director of QUP. This was followed by the main lecture by Dr. Makoto Fujiwara, Senior Research Scientist at TRIUMF, Canada's national particle accelerator center.

Prof. Fujiwara began with an explanation of the key properties of antimatter, using the event’s promotional poster as a visual aid.In the main talk, he posed fundamental questions to the audience, such as “Why does anything exist?” and “Does antimatter exist in the universe?”

He then explained his high-precision experiment designed to test how gravity acts on antimatter. Using videos and animations, he demonstrated the difficulty of containing antimatter, as it is immediately annihilated upon contact with normal matter. He presented the initial breakthrough results, demonstrating that antimatter falls in gravity. He concluded by sharing his ambition to make further precise measurements.

Throughout the presentation, moments of humor were woven into the scientific explanations, eliciting frequent laughter and engagement from the audience.

In the second half of the event, a “Interaction Session with Researchers” session featured six QUP members with diverse backgrounds. Each speaker briefly introduced their research themes and interests, creating a relaxed and engaging atmosphere. Following the introductions, participants moved to poster panels outside the lecture hall, where they engaged directly with the researchers, asking thoughtful and enthusiastic questions.

Related Links
The 3rd QUP Public Science Lecture: "Do Apples Fall Down in a Mirror Universe? — Antimatter and Gravity" (Japanese)
https://research.kek.jp/group/qup/publiclecture2025/

QUP News｜The 2nd QUP Public Science Lecture
https://www2.kek.jp/qup/en/news/detail20241213.html

QUP News | The 1st Public Science Lecture
https://www2.kek.jp/qup/en/news/detail20240409.html