Quantum on the Clock
School students: can you explain quantum science or technology in a three-minute video?
Details for our 2023 competition coming soon. Please note: the details below from our 2022 competition are for reference only.
See the top winners, runners-up and highly commended entries for Quantum on the Clock 2022.
- About the competition
- What is quantum?
- How to enter
- Eligibility
- Submit your entry
- Prizes
- Judging criteria
- Judges
- Organisation and sponsorship
- Ideas and resources
And your three minutes start... now!
Physicist Richard Feynman once said "I can safely say that nobody really understands quantum mechanics" - can you help us prove him wrong? We challenge you to create a three-minute video about any aspect of quantum science or technology, that a high school student can understand.
Watch Oxford PhD student Maria Violaris give a video summary of the competition below.
Quantum? Is that the thing with the cat?
Yes! Schrödinger's cat is a popular quantum thought experiment. Some systems such as tiny particles show quantum behaviour, where they can be in two places at once, called a superposition of states. Erwin Schrödinger pointed out that if cats can also be quantum, then they can be dead and alive at the same time.
But there's lots more to quantum than cats and superpositions! The electronics in the phone or computer that you are reading this webpage on rely on quantum mechanics. People are racing to build quantum computers, which can perform many calculations at once. Quantum particles have been sent to space on satellites to enable ultra-secure quantum communication. There are experiments to show quantum teleportation, and debates about whether there are many quantum universes.
The laws of Quantum on the Clock
How to enter
- Create a video on any aspect of quantum science or technology, that is no longer than three minutes.
- You can submit your video individually or in a team of up to four.
- The video must be accurate, and if the chosen topic is controversial or under debate, then this should be mentioned in the video.
- The video should not promote a particular company or organisation, though they can be mentioned as examples of who is implementing a quantum technology.
- The video can be in any format! It could be a single person or a group of people talking to the camera; a drama; visuals and animation; song, poetry or dance; or something else... all creativity is welcome.
Please see the terms and conditions for the competition (PDF, 105KB)
Eligibility
The competition is open to students in the UK and Ireland, in their final two years of pre-university education. This includes A-level, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Higher and Advanced Higher (S5 and S6), Irish Senior Cycle, or equivalent courses.
We strongly encourage submissions from students with all backgrounds that are underrepresented in the physics community.
If you are not eligible for the competition, but think quantum sounds cool anyway, check out our collection of online quantum resources for some fun quantum reading.
Submissions
Details for our 2023 competition coming soon.
Please note: the details on this page from our 2022 competition are for reference only.
Important note about completing your entry form
- If all students involved in the entry are under 18, then a parent, guardian or teacher should complete the form with their contact details. All under-18 consent forms should be sent to [email protected] by the adult doing the submission.
- If all students involved in the entry are 18 or over, then one of the students should complete the form with their contact details. All 18 and over consent forms should be sent to [email protected] by the student doing the submission.
- If the entry is a team with a mix of students under 18 and 18 and over, then the form can be completed by either a parent, guardian or teacher, or one of the students that is 18 and over, with their contact details. The appropriate under 18 and 18 and over consent forms for each student should be sent to [email protected] by the adult doing the submission.
- A school staff member (such as a teacher or administrator) should email a confirmation of eligibility of all students involved in the submission. The email should be sent to [email protected], saying “I confirm that [full name(s) of all students involved in the submission] is/are a student at [name of school] in [year group]”.
To get updates about the competition, follow the IOP QQQ group on Twitter.
Prizes
In 2022, the winners and runners-up of the competition all received cash prizes, with the team cash prizes being shared between the team members.
The winners of "Best individual" and "Best team" prizes also received a one-year subscription to Physics World and an expenses-paid invitation to a prize-giving event at the Photon 2022 conference dinner, with the opportunity to network with expert quantum researchers at a major UK conference.
One representative from each winning entry for the sponsor prizes was also invited to the prize-giving event (where the winning entry was a team, they chose one representative).
In 2022 the conference took place in Nottingham, 30 August to 2 September.
| Category | Prize |
|---|---|
| Best individual video | £300 One-year Physics World subscription Prize-giving event invitation |
| Best team video | £300 One-year Physics World subscription Prize-giving event invitation |
| National Physical Laboratory Prize For most creative video |
£150 |
| National Quantum Computing Centre Prize For best explained video |
£150 |
| IBM Quantum Prize For most engaging video |
£150 |
| Oxford Quantum Circuits Prize For most well-researched video |
£150 |
| Universal Quantum Prize For the best video response to the question "What would you do with a 1-million qubit quantum computer?" |
£150 |
| Nine Runners-Up Prizes for highly commended entries | £100 |
Judging criteria
- Creativity: How original is the presentation of the topic?
- Clarity: How understandable is the video to a 16 year old with no knowledge of quantum?
- Engagement: How good is the video at capturing our attention, keeping it, and leaving us with something to think about afterwards?
- Accuracy: How well is quantum science and/or technology presented in a well-researched and non-misleading way?
Judges
Merritt Moore, Quantum ballerina
Dr Merritt Moore has a PhD in quantum physics from the University of Oxford and also pursues a professional ballet career. She has had astronaut training and programs and dances with robots.
Jim Al-Khalili, Physics broadcaster
Professor Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS is a science communicator renowned for his public engagement through writing and broadcasting, and a theoretical physicist at the University of Surrey.
Chiara Decaroli, Quantum scientist
Dr Chiara Decaroli is a quantum scientist with a PhD in ion-trap quantum computing. She is the Outreach and Engagement Officer at the National Quantum Computing Centre in Oxfordshire.
Spiros Michalakis, Hollywood advisor
Dr Spiros Michalakis is a mathematical physicist at Caltech and science advisor for Hollywood movies like Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Bill and Ted Face the Music.
Anne-Claire Blet, Quantum executive
Anne-Claire Blet is Chief Operating Officer at Oxford Quantum Circuits, building quantum computers to enable life-changing discoveries.
Vlatko Vedral, Quantum theorist
Professor Vlatko Vedral FInstP leads quantum groups at the University of Oxford and CQT in Singapore. He did pioneering research in entanglement and is author of many books, including "Decoding Reality".
Campbell McLauchlan, Quantum researcher
Campbell McLauchlan is doing a PhD in quantum computing at the University of Cambridge and creates physics videos, podcasts and blogs.
Margaret Harris, Science journalist
Dr Margaret Harris is an online editor for Physics World magazine and leads the quantum student contributors network, with a PhD in atomic physics from Durham University.
Mithuna Yoganathan, Quantum YouTuber
Dr Mithuna Yoganathan has a PhD in quantum computing from the University of Cambridge and runs the "Looking Glass Universe" YouTube channel.
James Millen, Quantum lecturer
Dr James Millen is a lecturer in photonics at King's University London. He runs The Quantum Workshop mobile experiment and lectures to the public at the Royal Institution.
Nick Bronn, Quantum video host
Dr Nick Bronn researches quantum computing at IBM Quantum in New York and is a video host for the Qiskit YouTube channel.
Mete Atatüre, Quantum founder
Professor Mete Atatüre leads a quantum optics research group at the University of Cambridge and co-founded NuQuantum. His many public engagement activities include TEDx talks and TV appearances.
Ryan Mann, Quantum theorist
Dr Ryan Mann researches the complexity of quantum computing at the University of Technology Sydney and lectured quantum computation at the University of Bristol.
Maria Violaris, Quantum science communicator
Maria Violaris is a PhD student at the University of Oxford and initiated the Quantum on the Clock competition. She communicates quantum science and technology through videos and writing.
Andrew Hanson, Outreach manager
Andrew Hanson MBE manages outreach at the National Physical Laboratory, and has been involved in many science video competitions. His goal is to enable good science to help life by helping a next generation to “get” and “love” science.
Maciej Malinowski, Ion trapper
Dr Maciej Malinowski builds trapped-ion quantum computers at Oxford Ionics, and is very interested in all hardware implementations of quantum computers.
Melissa Lord, Physics educator
Melissa Lord is on the IOP Manchester Branch committee and a Regional Representative for the Ogden Trust. She spent many years teaching physics at Altrincham Girls' Grammar School as Head of Physics and Head of Science.
Organisation and sponsorship
This competition is organised by the IOP QQQ group, and it would not be possible without generous support from our quantum sponsors! Here is a bit about who they are (who knows, one might inspire your quantum video).
Organisers
The Quantum Optics, Quantum Information and Quantum Control Group is a special interest group with the Institute of Physics. We are a community of Institute of Physics members focused on quantum science and technology.
Gold Sponsors
National Physical Laboratory
The National Physics Laboratory (NPL) has over 700 scientists and engineers delivering high accuracy measurements to enable current and future prosperity, security, and scientific advancement for the UK. Their quantum programme is developing the capability to support industrial innovation across quantum technologies for precision timing, sensing, secure communications and computing applications.
Find out more about the National Physical Laboratory.
IBM Quantum
IBM Quantum is a branch of IBM building quantum computers and software to program them, supporting businesses, developers, researchers and quantum education. Qiskit is an open-source quantum programming language developed by IBM Quantum.
Find out more about IBM Quantum.
Find out more about Qiskit.
National Quantum Computing Centre
The National Quantum Computing Centre seeks to enhance the UK's global leadership in quantum computing, to help translate UK research strengths into innovation, and enable the creation of the first generation of quantum computers. The NQCC is funded through UKRI, and is dedicated to accelerating the development of quantum computing by addressing the challenges of scaling, technology and user adoption.
Find out more about the National Quantum Computing Centre.
Oxford Quantum Circuits
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) develops technology that harnesses the power of quantum to do things previously deemed impossible. From enabling life-changing drug discoveries, to unbreakable cryptography. From unleashing the full potential of AI, to unlocking nature's best-kept design secrets. OQC is at the forefront of the quantum revolution which will reshape our world.
Find out more about Oxford Quantum Circuits.
Universal Quantum
For quantum computers to do anything useful for society, they need to reach the million-qubit scale. Universal Quantum has focused on this challenge from day one. Its scalable design uses electronic modules based on silicon technology, connected using ultrafast electric field links to form an architecture that truly scales. The company is a spin-out from the University of Sussex with more than fifteen years of quantum computing experience and is backed by top VCs.
Find out more about Universal Quantum.
Bronze Sponsors
Oxford Ionics
Oxford Ionics are building quantum computers which harness the inherent perfection of atoms to solve the world's most important problems.
Find out more about Oxford Ionics.
Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub
The Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub (QCS) is a research collaboration between 17 universities, supported by over 25 commercial and governmental organisations. The Hub covers a wide range of areas from hardware and software to core technologies and potential applications, reflecting the many different skills required to transform quantum computing.
Find out more about the Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub.