qCraft: Quantum Physics In Minecraft

We built the Quantum A.I. Lab to explore the potential of quantum computing, and figure out what questions we should be asking. One question is clear: Where will future quantum computer scientists come from? 

Our best guess: Minecraft. 

Millions of kids are spending a whole lot of hours in Minecraft, not just digging caves and fighting monsters, but building assembly lines, space shuttles, and programmable computers, all in the name of experimentation and discovery. 

So how do we get these smart, creative kids excited about quantum physics? 

We talked to our friends at MinecraftEdu and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter and came up with a fun idea: a Minecraft modpack called qCraft. It lets players experiment with quantum behaviors inside Minecraft’s world, with new blocks that exhibit quantum entanglement, superposition, and observer dependency. 

Of course, qCraft isn’t a perfect scientific simulation, but it’s a fun way for players to experience a few parts of quantum mechanics outside of thought experiments or dense textbook examples.

We don’t even know the full potential of what you can make with qCraft, but we’re excited to see what Minecraft’s players can discover. 

You can download qCraft now as part of the Tekkit, Hexxit, or Feed The Beast Unleashed modpacks, and find out more at www.qCraft.org. 

#qcraft   #minecraft