Artur Ekert
A quantum physics pioneer who turned the spooky nature of entanglement into the unbreakable code of quantum cryptography.
Born 1961 (age 65)·British-Polish physicist·Birthday: September 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Artur Ekert saw the potential for perfect secrecy in the most counterintuitive corners of physics. Born in Poland and building his career in Oxford and Singapore, Ekert moved at the intersection of quantum mechanics, computer science, and mathematics. In 1991, he proposed a revolutionary method for secure communication—a protocol that used the phenomenon of quantum entanglement to detect any eavesdropper. This work, known as E91, provided a profound physical foundation for quantum cryptography, moving it from theory toward practical application. A charismatic and collaborative figure, Ekert helped found the Centre for Quantum Technologies in Singapore, turning it into a global research powerhouse. His curiosity ranges from the fundamentals of quantum computation to the history of science, always with an eye toward how quantum weirdness can be harnessed to process information in fundamentally new ways.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Artur was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Artur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Artur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Published the seminal E91 protocol in 1991, establishing entanglement-based quantum key distribution.
- Founded and served as the first Director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore.
- Holds a professorship in quantum physics at the University of Oxford's Mathematical Institute and is a fellow of Merton College.
- Awarded the Royal Society's Hughes Medal in 2023 for his pioneering contributions to quantum cryptography and computation.
Did You Know?
He was a nationally ranked junior swimmer in Poland during his youth.
Ekert studied physics as a postgraduate at Oxford under the renowned physicist David Deutsch.
He has expressed a deep interest in the connections between physics, cryptography, and the history of code-breaking.
“Quantum cryptography is the first application of quantum mechanics where we use a quantum phenomenon not just to understand nature, but to perform a task that is impossible classically.”
