Studying the characteristics of materials has captured the attention of many scientists, especially physicists. The knowledge that researchers gain from dissecting the properties of materials impacts the lives of people around the world. In three virtual physics presentations organized in April and May 2021 by the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), expert scientists discussed the history and latest advances in understanding atomic-level interactions in glass, tuning quantum states, and raising the temperature of superconductivity, all part of the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Physics. This series is supported in part by the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.