Name: Invisible infrastructure: Cables, Qubits & Global connection
Start: 2026-05-19T19:30:00
End: 2026-05-19T21:30:00
Location: Marlborough Arms

What keeps the world connected? Two talks pull back the curtain. First, Hayley Adlam from Alcatel Submarine Networks takes us to the undersea cables carrying the internet across oceans. Then, a quantum physicist reveals how the laws of physics themselves can make communication spy-proof. Expect submarines, spies, and cutting-edge science.

Connecting the World, Connecting People: An Insight into the Subsea Telecommunications Industry

Hayley Adlam (Fleet Services Technical Interface Manager / Offshore Operations Superintendent, Alcatel Submarine Networks)

The advent of global internet connectivity has revolutionised the way humans communicate, fostering unprecedented levels of interconnectedness on a global scale. But where does this service that we have become so reliant on come from and how is it installed? Alcatel Submarine Networks are a global leader in submarine optical systems having fabricated and installed over 800,000km of top-tier submarine optical systems – enough to circle the globe 19 times! We not only connect the world, we connect people.

A Quantum Guide to Killing Eve: Why Spies Can’t Stay Hidden

Dr Abbie Bray (Lecturer in Quantum Technologies, UCL)

How do you send a message a spy can’t secretly read? In the quantum world, the act of observing leaves a trace. This talk explores how quantum communication turns eavesdropping into something you can detect, not just fear. Expect spies, physics, and why “unhackable” doesn’t quite mean what you think. Dr Abbie Bray (UCL) works in quantum technologies and will guide you through the strange rules that make this possible.

[{"lat":51.521888,"lon":-0.1337453,"title":"Marlborough Arms","html":"<div class=\"location-tooltip\">\n    <h6>Events at Marlborough Arms<\/h6>\n\n    <address class=\"mb-1\">36 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7LY<\/address>\n\n    <div class=\"mb-3\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?daddr=36+Torrington+Place%2C+London%2C+WC1E+7LY\" target=\"_blank\">\n            Get directions <i class=\"fa fa-external-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <ul class=\"lt-events\">\n        \n        <li>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/pintofscience.co.uk\/event\/diagnosing-the-future-ai-in-medicine\">\n                <span class=\"lt-event-name\">Diagnosing the Future: AI in Medicine<\/span>\n                <span class=\"lt-event-date\">(18 May 2026)<\/span>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/li>\n        \n        <li>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/pintofscience.co.uk\/event\/invisible-infrastructure-cables-qubits-and-global-connection\">\n                <span class=\"lt-event-name\">Invisible infrastructure: Cables, Qubits &amp; Global connection<\/span>\n                <span class=\"lt-event-date\">(19 May 2026)<\/span>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/li>\n        \n        <li>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/pintofscience.co.uk\/event\/soft-smart-and-kinda-alive\">\n                <span class=\"lt-event-name\">Soft, Smart, &amp; kinda Alive<\/span>\n                <span class=\"lt-event-date\">(20 May 2026)<\/span>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/li>\n        \n    <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","zoom":15,"icon":"https:\/\/pintofscience.co.uk\/assets\/Topics\/tech-map__ScaleWidthWzMwXQ.png"}]

Other London events

Other Marlborough Arms events

18 May

London

Sold Out!

Diagnosing the Future: AI in Medicine

20 May

London

Sold Out!