How did Ant-Man help spread quantum science?

He may be one of the lesser Avengers, but Ant-Man has made a lot of breakthroughs in tackling quantum physics and moving these complex concepts to the horizons of pop culture and people’s imaginations.

Released in theaters in February, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” did damage to Marvel, but research institutions in North America are highlighting the importance of the production.

The adventure of superhero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) has grossed just under $500 million at the worldwide box office.

However, experts from the Argonne National Laboratory, which is affiliated with the US Department of Energy, believe that Marvel productions have played an important role in the spread of quantum science.

In this feature, the heroes return to follow their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, they explore the Quantum Realm, interact with strange creatures and experience stories that push the boundaries of what they thought possible. Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard produced the film. Directed by Peyton Reed.

Marvel has supported science outreach projects

Over the past few months, Lemont’s Argonne National Laboratory has brought together a team of quantum researchers and Marvel fans to create a series of videos, social media posts, and public events to reveal the real science behind movie magic. from Marvel.

To help viewers understand the concepts, the scientists created a series of short videos, mimicking Marvel style, to explain quantum phenomena in real life. The content explores quantum states, quantum communication, and supercomputers that are used to simulate quantum computers of the future.

Look at the example below and check out the full series Youtube:

After that, they held various events, such as the free and early screening of Ant-Man in Chicago (USA), in February. The session was attended by the leading experts in quantum science in the United States.

This initiative is collaboratively organized by Marvel Studios, the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE).

Among the speakers was David Oshalum, Professor at the University of Chicago and Director of CQE.

Quantum technology is now being developed all over the world. Here in Chicago, a quantum network is operating beneath us, creating and distributing quantum entanglement across the suburbs, transmitting quantum states tens of thousands of times per second.”

Example within the movie

Argonne scientists are developing new platforms that can transform quantum technology, developing equipment to detect changes within a single human tissue cell, and laying the foundations for a quantum network.

Throughout the film, Ant-Man encounters many quantum principles as he and his family navigate a strange world. In one scene, the hero encounters a “storm of probability”. In it, every possible choice manifests itself as a different version of itself. Thus, a real army of ant-men is created.

This probability storm is a creative representation of overlay. A quantitative principle in which things can exist in multiple states simultaneously. And only after it has been measured does its probabilities collapse and it turns into a single state.

Quantum in “real life”

The word “how much” refers to the smallest possible amount of something. This means that quantum information science and engineering is dedicated to understanding how our world works on the smallest scale: the subatomic level. Electricity, magnetism, light – all phenomena we interact with on a daily basis are driven by principles found in quantum mechanics.

Scientists will be able to create increasingly powerful tools as discoveries progress. Very fast computers can solve in seconds challenges that would normally take thousands of years to solve.

Quantum computers already exist as a reality, but they are more limited than they could become in the future. These machines act as simulators, not as programmable tools that can be used on a daily basis.

qubits

In February, scientists at the University of Sussex (UK) managed to make millions of qubits travel directly between two tiny chips of a quantum computer. All with much greater speed and accuracy than any previous experience with the technology.

This is quite an achievement, because getting qubits to work together has always been one of the biggest challenges in the field. A qubit is equivalent to the parts of a conventional computer. That is, it is the smallest unit of information that can be stored or transmitted. But instead of processing information in isolation, qubits combine information from all of the data. Thus, it creates new dimensions of processing.

No wonder quantum science sounds like the brainchild of a sci-fi movie screenwriter. Another example was an episode of the new season of “Black Mirror”, where a quantum computer was filmed.

The Netflix anthology series examines our relationship with technology and the consequences of using highly advanced gadgets – some completely out of touch with reality, some already in society, and others we may have in the future.

In the case of the technology introduced in the episode “Joan the Terrible”, it is a computer beyond our immediate reality. But quantum physics is being researched by many scientists. It is sure to revolutionize science, computing and information technology.