Experience the future of technology: visit the Quantum Escape Room
Science journalist Anna Gimbrère and physicist Julia Cramer will open the Quantum Escape Room in Eindhoven on Wednesday, 17th of December. Researchers from Leiden worked closely with the designers to make sure the escape room is not only exciting, but also truly quantum.
How do you make an escape room quantum?
It starts with the basics. Physicist Patrick Emonts explains: ‘At the start of this Quantum Delta NL project, I explained the basic principles of quantum mechanics and quantum technology to everyone involved.’ Together with colleagues, he met several times with the designers of the escape room. ‘The challenge was to turn complex scientific ideas into playful, easy-to-understand puzzles, and I think we’ve succeeded.’
Michiel Thijssen is also enthusiastic about the result: ‘The physics of the very smallest scale really comes to life in this escape room. For a moment, you feel like you’re in a future where quantum technology is part of everyday life.’ Thijssen advised the design team on the optics parts used in the puzzles.
Practical information
Quantum Escape Room - Quantum Delta NL
Tickets & info: www.nextnature.org
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Who is it for: teams of 2–4 people – children up to 14 must be accompanied by adults
Language: Dutch and English
Location: Next Nature Museum, Noord Brabantlaan 1A, 5652 LA Eindhoven
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday | 11:00–17:00
Design by: Sherlocked and Next Nature Museum.
Quantum games from Leiden
Leiden researchers Evert van Nieuwenburg and PhD candidate Marien Raat also made an important contribution. They shared their so-called Quantum Games with the design team. These interactive games were designed to make quantum more intuitive and accessible to a wide audience. ‘It’s wonderful to see our quantum games become part of an escape room,’ Van Nieuwenburg says. ‘This way, quantum ideas are not just explained, but actually experienced.’
What do visitors really learn about quantum?
Is it all about excitement and puzzles, or is there more to it? Because this new technology will change our society, it is important that as many people as possible become familiar with it. In the coming period, Leiden postdoctoral researcher Francien Bossema will study what visitors learn about quantum technology through the escape room. Bossema works in the Quantum & Society research group led by Julia Cramer and studies how quantum technology affects society. This makes the Quantum Escape Room not only an adventure, but also a living experiment.