Resumo: Electric and magnetic dipoles play an important role in classical electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. They are even more significant in quantum field theory, since the first successful loop prediction of QED is precisely the anomalous (dipole) magnetic moment of the electron. More broadly, dipole operators frequently appear in theories beyond the standard model, where they can be probed using different techniques. In this colloquium, I will first summarize the important role that dipoles play in classical electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and quantum field theory; I will then describe two examples of theories beyond the Standard Model in which dipole operators are important for the phenomenology: "sterile dipoles" and "dark dipoles".
