Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2017
Volume 62, Number 4
Monday–Friday, March 13–17, 2017; New Orleans, Louisiana
Session V27: Gamification and other Novel Approaches in Quantum Physics OutreachFocus Outreach
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Sponsoring Units: GQI FOEP DCOMP Chair: Ian Durham, St. Anselm's College Room: 290 |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:30PM - 3:06PM |
V27.00001: Gamifying quantum research: harnessing human intuition Invited Speaker: Jacob Sherson In the emerging field of citizen science ordinary citizens have already contributed to research in as diverse fields as astronomy, protein and RNA folding, and neuron mapping by playing online games. In the www.scienceathome.org project, we have extended this democratized research to the realm of quantum physics by gamifying a class of challenges related to optimization of gate operations in a quantum computer. The games have been played by more than 150,000 players and perhaps surprisingly we observe that a large fraction of the players outperform state-of-the-art optimization algorithms [1]. With a palette of additional games within cognitive science, behavioral economics, and corporate innovation we investigate the general features of individual and collaborative problem solving to shed additional light on the process of human intuition and innovation and potentially develop novel models of artificial intelligence. We have also developed and tested in classrooms educational games within classical and quantum physics and mathematics at high-school and university level. The games provide individualized learning and enhance motivation for the core curriculum by actively creating links to modern research challenges, see eg [2]. Finally, we have recently launched our new democratic lab: an easily accessible remote interface for our ultra-cold atoms experiment allowing amateur scientists, students, and research institutions world-wide to perform state-of-the-art quantum experimentation. In first tests, nearly a thousand players helped optimize the production of our BEC and discovered novel efficient strategies. [1] J.J. Sørensen et al, Nature, 532, 210 (2016). [2] M.K. Pedersen et al, arXiv:1608.07391 [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:06PM - 3:18PM |
V27.00002: Teaching Quantum Mechanics with qCraft: Outreach and Video Games Aleksander Kubica, Aidan Chatwin-Davies, Spyridon Michalakis Why is quantum mechanics considered a hard and inaccessible subject? Part of the difficulty is due to the nature of the subject itself. However, no small part of the difficulty is its pedagogy, which often relies on out-of-date historical motivation and experimental evidence that is disconnected from day-to-day experiences. In this first talk, we explore ways in which video games are well-suited to teaching quantum mechanics, in particular with regards to building intuition, as well as some of their limitations. We then illustrate these considerations through qCraft, an extension for Minecraft that incorporates aspects of quantum mechanics into the game. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:18PM - 3:30PM |
V27.00003: Teaching Quantum Mechanics with qCraft: qCraft in Action Aidan Chatwin-Davies, Aleksander Kubica, Spyridon Michalakis In this second talk, we delve further into qCraft, which is an extension, or ``mod,'' of the popular video game Minecraft. We explain how quantum-mechanical phenomena---such as superposition, observer-dependency, and entanglement---are implemented in qCraft. We finish with a short demo and share our experiences with its use in primary school and high school classrooms. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:30PM - 3:42PM |
V27.00004: Quantum mechanics IS intuitive. Charles Tahan We made an app called Meqanic for iOS. To the world, it is a pattern matching game whose rules are very unusual. In reality, it is a functional quantum simulator designed to visualize quantum states and to challenge the user to reconstruct them. The app was released on the Apple App Store in 2014. Here's what we've learned so far. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:42PM - 3:54PM |
V27.00005: QUANTUM: The Exhibition - quantum at the museum Martin Laforest, Angela Olano, Tobi Day-Hamilton Distilling the essence of quantum phenomena, and how they are being harnessed to develop powerful quantum technologies, into a series of bite-sized, elementary-school-level pieces is what the scientific outreach team at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing was tasked with. QUANTUM: The Exhibition uses a series of informational panels, multimedia and interactive displays to introduce visitors to quantum phenomena and how they will revolutionize computing, information security and sensing. We’ll discuss some of the approaches we took to convey the essence and impact of quantum mechanics and technologies to a lay audience while ensuring scientific accuracy. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:54PM - 4:06PM |
V27.00006: QUANTUM: The Exhibition - the wy and the process Angela Olano, Martin Laforest, Tobi Day-Hamilton Making a 4,000 square foot, travelling, interactive exhibition on an invisible science is no small feat. In this talk, the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo will discuss why it decided two years ago, to build QUANTUM: the Exhibition, a large scale exhibition about quantum information science and technology: a topic never tackled by exhibit producers before. We’ll discuss our strategy and process in creating this unique outreach vehicle, which involved three external firms and collaborative content creation with dozens of researchers and museum-workers. We’ll also discuss how the exhibition is being leveraged across Canada through partnerships with science centres and other outreach organizations to share it with the broadest audience possible. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:06PM - 4:18PM |
V27.00007: Game, cloud architecture and outreach for The BIG Bell Test. Carlos Abellan, Jordi Tura, Marta Garcia, Federica Beduini, Alina Hirschmann, Valerio Pruneri, Antonio Acin, Maria Marti, Morgan Mitchell The BIG Bell test uses the input from the Bellsters, self-selected human participants introducing zeros and ones through an online videogame, to perform a suite of quantum physics experiments. In this talk, we will explore the videogame, the data infrastructure and the outreach efforts of the BIG Bell test collaboration. First, we will discuss how the game was designed so as to eliminate possible feedback mechanisms that could influence people’s behavior. Second, we will discuss the cloud architecture design for scalability as well as explain how we sent each individual bit from the users to the labs. Also, and using all the bits collected via the BIG Bell test interface, we will show a data analysis on human randomness, e.g. are younger Bellsters more random than older Bellsters? Finally, we will talk about the outreach and communication efforts of the BIG Bell test collaboration, exploring both the social media campaigns as well as the close interaction with teachers and educators to bring the project into classrooms. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:18PM - 4:30PM |
V27.00008: The BIG Bell Test: quantum physics experiments with direct public participation Morgan Mitchell, Carlos Abellan, Jordi Tura, Marta Garcia Matos, Alina Hirschmann, Federica Beduini, Valerio Pruneri, Antonio Acin, Maria Marti The BIG Bell Test is a suite of physics experiments - tests of quantum nonlocality, quantum communications, and related experiments - that use crowd-sourced human randomness as an experimental resource. By connecting participants - anyone with an internet connection - to state-of-the-art experiments on five continents, the project aims at two complementary goals: 1) to provide bits generated directly from human choices, a unique information resource, to physics experiments, and 2) to give the world public the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to quantum physics research. We also describe related outreach and educational efforts to spread awareness of quantum physics and its applications. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:30PM - 4:42PM |
V27.00009: Quantum Chess: Making Quantum Phenomena Accessible Christopher Cantwell Quantum phenomena have remained largely inaccessible to the general public. There tends to be a scare factor associated with the word ``Quantum''. This is in large part due to the alien nature of phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. However, Quantum Computing is a very active area of research and one day we will have games that run on those quantum computers. Quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement will seem as normal as gravity. Is it possible to create such games today? Can we make games that are built on top of a realistic quantum simulation and introduce players of any background to quantum concepts in a fun and mentally stimulating way? One of the difficulties with any quantum simulation run on a classical computer is that the Hilbert space grows exponentially, making simulations of an appreciable size physically impossible due largely to memory restrictions. Here we will discuss the conception and development of Quantum Chess, and how to overcome some of the difficulties faced. We can then ask the question, ``What's next?'' What are some of the difficulties Quantum Chess still faces, and what is the future of quantum games? [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:42PM - 4:54PM |
V27.00010: Decodoku: Quantum error rorrection as a simple puzzle game James Wootton To build quantum computers, we need to detect and manage any noise that occurs. This will be done using quantum error correction. At the hardware level, QEC is a multipartite system that stores information non-locally. Certain measurements are made which do not disturb the stored information, but which do allow signatures of errors to be detected. Then there is a software problem. How to take these measurement outcomes and determine: a) The errors that caused them, and (b) how to remove their effects. For qubit error correction, the algorithms required to do this are well known. For qudits, however, current methods are far from optimal. We consider the error correction problem of qubit surface codes. At the most basic level, this is a problem that can be expressed in terms of a grid of numbers. Using this fact, we take the inherent problem at the heart of quantum error correction, remove it from its quantum context, and presented in terms of simple grid based puzzle games. We have developed three versions of these puzzle games, focussing on different aspects of the required algorithms. These have been presented and iOS and Android apps, allowing the public to try their hand at developing good algorithms to solve the puzzles. For more information, see www.decodoku.com. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:54PM - 5:06PM |
V27.00011: Non-local boxes and their implementation in Minecraft Timo Yannick Simnacher PR-boxes are binary devices connecting two remote parties satisfying x AND y = a + b mod 2, where x and y denote the binary inputs and a and b are the respective outcomes without signaling. These devices are named after their inventors Sandu Popescu and Daniel Rohrlich and saturate the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality. This Bell-like inequality bounds the correlation that can exist between two remote, non-signaling, classical systems described by local hidden variable theories. Experiments have now convincingly shown that quantum entanglement cannot be explained by local hidden variable theories. Furthermore, the CHSH inequality provides a method to distinguish quantum systems from super-quantum correlations. The correlation between the outputs of the PR-box goes beyond any quantum entanglement. Though PR-boxes would have impressive consequences, as far as we know they are not physically realizable. However, by introducing PR-boxes to Minecraft as part of the redstone system, which simulates the electrical components for binary computing, we can experience the consequences of super-quantum correlations. For instance, Wim van Dam proved that two parties can use a sufficient number of PR-boxes to compute any Boolean function f(x,y) with only one bit of communication. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 5:06PM - 5:18PM |
V27.00012: Quantum Cats: a simple app with a flavour of quantum Thomas McConkey, Martin Laforest, Angela Olano Quantum physics poses many challenges for those in scientific outreach. How can we communicate so much in a limited amount of time to as broad an audience as possible? Our answer was Quantum Cats: an interactive game based on the popular app Angry Birds. With campus partners at the Games Institute at the University of Waterloo, the Institute for Quantum Computing sought to create an interactive game that would provide an introduction to quantum mechanical behaviour, break down intimidation surrounding the topic and instill some quantum intuition in even the youngest of players. We’ll talk about this collaborative process that netted in a useful game that distinguishes classical from quantum physics – and over 6000 downloads. [Preview Abstract] |
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