The Quantum Kid

This game was shown live at Gamescom, where it got serious attention, so we had to find out what it's actually doing with quantum computing. Can a video game really run on quantum mechanics? Kai finds out, then sits down for a real game of quantum chess, where winning means putting his own king into superposition.Chapters:0:00 What is a quantum game?0:17 Can a quantum computer make a game?0:34 Quantum chess: a pawn in superposition0:52 Meet James Wootton (CSO, MOTH Quantum) and Natasha Skult (CEO, MiTale)1:52 Kai plays MOTH in real time2:50 Quantum computers for level generation3:11 Quantum music3:56 Should players care about quantum technology?4:53 MOTH at Gamescom5:15 Quantum chess with Tamás Varga6:49 Can I build my own quantum game?7:23 Quantum backrooms11:13 Quantum computer as a booster11:58 The future of quantum gaming12:09 Clay: The Last Redemption13:23 Quantum computing and procedural generation13:58 I lost my MOTH14:03 Thank you, James and Natasha!In this episode, Kai explores a Roblox-style quantum game (rescuing a moth using quantum mechanics!), then learns to play quantum chess with Tamás Varga, discovering what superposition and entanglement actually mean by using them to win.Along the way, we dive into:How a video game can be built around real quantum mechanicsWhat superposition actually means, explained through a chessboard, not a textbookWhat entanglement means and how it shows up in the gameWhy quantum ideas are showing up in gaming and entertainment, not just labsKai's honest reaction to putting a chess piece in two places at once!💬 Leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai reads them all!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com

Can quantum computers really break the encryption protecting your data? Kai sits down with Rebecca Krauthamer, CEO of QuSecure, to find out, recorded live in Geneva at the AI for Good Summit. Plus, great questions from the UN diplomatic corps in the audience!Chapters:0:00 Rebecca Krauthamer, CEO of QuSecure0:45 What is encryption?1:30 Do quantum computers threaten Roblox, banking and email?2:00 How quantum computers work, really, and what Peter Shor discovered in the 1990s3:06 Preparing hospitals and banks for the future3:54 Why quantum computers could break today's encryption5:25 Steps you can take right now to protect yourself6:45 Why we need quantum safety8:18 Kai's take on quantum computingThe Quantum Kid is a show where 10-year-old Kai asks the world's top scientists and tech leaders to explain quantum computing to him, and if he gets it, so will everyone else.💬 Leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai reads them all!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com

Can quantum be explained through art instead of equations? Award-winning filmmaker Mark Levinson (Particle Fever, The Universe in a Grain of Sand) joins Roger Highfield from the Science Museum Group to answer Kai's biggest questions!Chapters:0:00 Meet Mark Levinson and Roger Highfield1:09 Why quantum physics is so hard to explain2:28 Can film make invisible physics visible?3:42 Inside "The Universe in a Grain of Sand"5:23 How museums make quantum ideas click7:41 Kai's own take on superposition and entanglement10:20 Why quantum ideas give even scientists a headache12:22 Why CERN and museums are teaming up14:05 What quantum education looks like nextFor the past year, The Quantum Kid has explored quantum technologies through the eyes of Kai, a curious young co-host who started this journey at age nine. In this special anniversary episode, Kai has officially turned 10!To celebrate, we are joined by two exceptional science storytellers:Mark Levinson, physicist and director of the acclaimed films Particle Fever and The Universe in a Grain of SandRoger Highfield, Director of Science at the Science Museum Group, UKTogether, they explore one of the biggest challenges in science: how do you explain quantum ideas to the next generation?The conversation ranges from CERN and Particle Fever to Mark's latest film, The Universe in a Grain of Sand, which uses art, experimental cinema and stunning visuals to make some of the strangest ideas in physics more accessible.Along the way, Kai shares his own interpretations of superposition and entanglement, leading to a fascinating discussion about whether children may sometimes be better prepared for quantum thinking than adults.This episode celebrates one year of The Quantum Kid and Kai's journey from age nine to ten, proving that some of the biggest questions in science can start with a child's curiosity.The Quantum Kid is a show where 10-year-old Kai asks the world's top scientists and tech leaders to explain quantum computing to him, and if he gets it, so will everyone else.💬 Leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai reads them all!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com

In this episode of The Quantum Kid, Kai visits a real quantum computing startup, ZuriQ, at ETH Zurich to find out what it takes to build a company in one of the world's most advanced technologies.How do quantum startups begin? Who provides the funding? What makes a good founder? And what happens if your company fails?Kai speaks with:David DiVincenzo, pioneer of quantum computing and creator of the DiVincenzo criteriaAlexandra Beckstein, CEO of QAI Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in quantum technologiesExplore a quantum lab with Kai to learn how atoms can become qubits, and why building a startup requires much more than just a great idea!Chapters:0:00 Introduction to startups0:28 Inside a quantum laboratory3:01 Challenges of a quantum CEO4:37 Expert advice on startups7:05 Technical and design criteria9:01 Market applications11:56 Founding and funding advice16:14 The reality of failureThe Quantum Kid is a show where 10-year-old Kai asks the world's top scientists and tech leaders to explain quantum computing to him, and if he gets it, so will everyone else.💬 Leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai reads them all!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com

Why do kids understand quantum concepts faster than adults? Nobel Prize winner John Martinis (2025 Nobel Prize in Physics) and Elisa Torres Durney (founder of Girls in Quantum) join Kai to find out, and to challenge how physics gets taught in the first place.In this episode, we explore why children have a natural advantage with non-intuitive ideas like superposition and entanglement, before anyone's told them physics is supposed to be hard. John shares real advice for parents on how to nurture scientific curiosity through building, playing and asking better questions, not more advanced ones.Chapters:0:00 Meet John Martinis and Elisa Torres Durney2:15 John Martinis on curiosity and building things as a kid6:31 Elisa Torres Durney's path into quantum research9:10 Why the "adult" way of teaching physics is failing14:45 What is quantum chess? (and how it's different from the real thing)18:30 Preview: Kai's quantum chess battle with Tamás Varga23:33 Advice for raising the next generation of scientistsIn an upcoming episode: Kai takes on Tamás Varga, the creator of a quantum chess game called Niel's Chess, to see how quantum rules actually govern the board.💬 Leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai reads them all!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com