Quantum Rascals will open up our wonderful quantum universe

The Quantum Rascals project is the result of an initiative by Professor Francesco Sannino, Professor WSR Claudio Pica and Associate Professor Thomas Ryttov, who have always thought it is cool to be clever. Earlier in the year, the three professors were awarded DKK 4 million by the "A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation for General Purposes" to fulfill their dream of sharing their enthusiasm about the quantum universe with the rest of the population over the next five years.

Francesco Sannino has a strong desire to make physics both exciting and accessible for everyone:

"The quantum universe shouldn't just be something reserved for researchers and scientists. It should be out there in kindergartens and primary schools - out there for everyone and the earlier the better. I look at my own and other people's children, and I want them to be part of the world and of the future - and physics plays a major role in everything. There are too many talent shows and X Factor in society. Far too much 'spiritual fast food' and too little 'French cuisine'," says Francesco Sannino, who as well as being the leader of CP³-Origins is also a professor of theoretical physics at SDU.

"Quantum Rascals" builds on five different initiatives:

• Young Quantum Rascals is aimed at young children aged between 4 and 10 years old. Through visits to schools, the children's curiosity is to be sparked using short films and presentations about the solar system, the universe and the subatomic world.
• Quantum Fronts is aimed at children and young people in the age group of 10-16 years old. School children and high school students will be presented with mysteries of the quantum world, from quantum mechanical phenomena to the quantum universe on a micro and macro level. The starting point will be something familiar to the young students: major blockbuster films such as Interstellar, where researchers will explain the physics in the films and explain what is fact and what is fiction. As something completely new, they are already underway with making cartoons about the quantum universe, which are expected to be released in 2017.
• Communication Portal: In addition to researchers going out to children and young people in schools, a communication portal is to be established online. Relevant material from "Quantum Rascals" will be made available online and can be used by high school teachers as part of their teaching, or by students to help with their homework. There will also be interactive games and entertainment for the general public.
• Quantum Town is aimed at meeting people outside the formal framework which often surrounds physics. Here, science will head out to cafés, libraries and other places in town, where people are invited to have their curiosity satisfied - and chat with researchers in casual surroundings.
• As well as the four approaches mentioned in "Quantum Rascals", at CP3-Origins a talent programme will be developed for the sharpest brains in high schools and among young university students. The programme is a kind of scientific Olympiad, where young talent will be challenged and developed as part of the otherwise very closed environment at the heart of the research centre.

The newly employed outreach coordinator Majken Christensen explains that the project has just started:

"Since I began on 1 September there has been a lot to do, partly in getting the project on its feet and partly dealing with all of the queries we've had, even before we started. There have been inquiries from schools, high schools and journalists, so it's really positive that so many people other than us think the project is great."

Majken Christensen has an educational background in astrophysics and has worked as a risk analyst in the banking sector for the past five years. At the same time, she also established an independent communication company, so she knows a lot about how to communicate physics in an interesting and inspiring way, and she will make use of this when she goes out to give lectures to the young people:

"I am very pleased to be involved in communicating physics in a totally new way. With the digital tools available today, we can reach the younger generation in a more captivating and intuitive way. It's a whole other storytelling technique we can use," continues Majken Christensen.

Francesco Sannino completely agrees with Majken Christensen's observation, and adds:

"We are starting by making short cartoons for young children with the theme that researchers are allowed to be cheeky and different, and it's actually cool to be interested in physics. We need more rascals in physics and in science in general. By rascals, I mean those who dare to think unconventionally, are rebellious with their ideas and solutions, and those who are not restricted by conventional rules and frameworks. We should tell our children that they are great - especially if they are interested in science. Children are curious by nature, and this curiosity is what we want to stimulate with "Quantum Rascals", concludes Francesco Sannino with enthusiasm.

The Dean of the Faculty of Science, Martin Zachariasen, supports the project and is excited to see what impact it could have for the Faculty:

"Quantum Rascals is a very exciting and inspiring concept, and it is rewarding to have a communication project that caters for our children and young people. As Dean, I am pleased that three of our most talented researchers are choosing to prioritise communication with the general public, and that they see it as a natural part of their work. One of the Faculty's most important tasks is to contribute to the surrounding society, and we can do this by attracting talented students to our study programmes, which afterwards will benefit the labour market. This is where "Quantum Rascals" can make a difference in the long term. The project is also helping to put physics and therefore science on the map, and that is crucial if we as a faculty are to be responsible for visible and valuable science in the future", stresses Martin Zachariasen.

Today (13 October), everybody is invited to Quantum Town at the Student House  in Odense. The event is free. You can also now sign up for bookings in 2017. The official opening of "Quantum Rascals" is expected to be in January 2017 when the high school lectures begin in earnest.

Read more about the project on the CP³-Origins website.