Quantum concepts such as superposition, entanglement and uncertainty can feel confusing and counterintuitive, but at a recent event in Japan, hundreds of young students learned they can also be fun.
The UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s Kawalek Lab, also known as the STAGE (Scientists, Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration) Lab, visited Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, last week to present Quantum Games as part of Tohoku’s Open Campus event.
The event, profiled on national Japanese television, is part of a ‘quantum alliance’ UChicago and Tohoku announced in 2023 to accelerate quantum research and build an international quantum workforce.
“At Tohoku University’s Open Campus event, hundreds of elementary to high school students enjoyed quantum science games developed by the University of Chicago’s STAGE Lab and led by Tohoku and Chicago students,” said Prof. Hideo Ohno, former president of Tohoku University. “The sight of the next generation engaging with next-generation technology in the global atmosphere of Tohoku University heralds a new era.”
Known in the U.S. as the Quantum Casino, the games are a suite of entertaining activities that explain complicated scientific concepts UChicago PME researchers use to design unhackable computers, high-speed networks, groundbreaking superconductors and healthcare innovations.
The STAGE Lab creates works including documentary films that embed science in art. It was founded and directed by UChicago PME Prof. Nancy Kawalek, who, along with her students and STAGE Director of Science Sunanda Prabhu-Gaunkar, led the Tohoku event games.
“The arts have always built bridges where science alone cannot, so we are thrilled to use the power of games to connect with tomorrow’s quantum leaders,” said Kawalek, a Distinguished Fellow in the Arts, Science and Technology. “The creative spark found in play can inspire a vision for the future. The science these games reflect can take us there.”
The STAGE Lab’s distinct research focuses on creating and developing new theatre, film, games, and other artistic endeavors inspired by science and technology. STAGE harnesses the power of storytelling, emotional engagement, and/or entertainment to translate complex scientific ideas into relatable human experience, promoting understanding of the sciences in the public arena through new forms of artistic expression.
Event organizers hope this mixture of innovation and inspiration will draw tomorrow’s scientists and engineers into the emerging field of quantum research.
“The Quantum Games presented in the event significantly motivated youngsters to learn quantum technology and brought strong interest to our alliance,” said Prof. Yoichiro Tanaka, Tohoku University’s Special Advisor for Global Co-Creation. “They really had fun in playing the Quantum Games and caught a sense of quantum phenomena.”