Universität Innsbruck | Harald Ritsch

Playful Quantum Science and Quantum Science in Schools

Quantum physics is an important topic in schools, because it has had a lasting impact on our view of modern physics. For teaching, modern quantum science and technologies can provide further momentum to strengthen public insight and broad education in the natural sciences in general.

Activities

School experiment: The quantised conductance

Quantum phenomena can also be observed in everyday phenomena, such as a ‘loose connection’, if you observe closely enough. In its astonishing simplicity, this experiment is an interesting addition to the established, but usually cost-intensive, school experiments on quantum mechanics: Two thin gold wires that are only slightly touching are carefully pulled apart. This requires some skill and a steady hand - but can also be done by the pupils themselves.

Quantum-Sciddle

Quantum physics is the language of nature on a microscopic level. Some of its concepts are far from our everyday lives and difficult to understand. Can you explain what Schrödinger's cat is? And that without the terms: Pet, dead, alive, superposition or thought experiment? Then Sciddle - The Science Riddle is the right place for you. The communication game is available for free for schools, in print and as a web app: https://sciddle.de/

Veranstaltungen

Nächste Veranstaltungen

Wed, 17. Dec 2025, 19:00 - 20:00

o'clock

Von Schrödingers Katze zum Quantencomputer

Naturforschende Gesellschaft zu Emden von 1814
Grasstraße 1
26721 Emden

Kann eine Katze gleichzeitig sowohl lebendig als auch tot sein? Diese absurd anmutende Frage geht zurück auf ein Gedankenexperiment, mit dem Erwin Schrödinger, einer der geistigen Väter der Quantenphysik, im Jahre 1935 den damals aktuellen Stand seiner Disziplin verdeutlichen wollte. Was nun in unserer erfahrbaren Wirklichkeit „burlesk“ erscheint, wird in der Welt der Atome zu einer unzweifelhaft bestätigten Tatsache. Mehr noch: Dieser Vortrag soll aufzeigen, dass sich hinter jeder Speicherzelle zukünftiger quantenmechanischer Computer eine echte Schrödinger-Katze verbirgt.