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Education and outreach

Education and outreach

Quantum-themed escape room opens at German science museum

28 Apr 2024 Hamish Johnston
Quantum escape room
Quantum fun: Michael Kretschmer, prime minister of Saxony, was one of the first guests in the new quantum escape room, along with children from the Dresden University School. (Courtesy: Amac Garbe)

Billed as “Germany’s first quantum physics escape room,” the Kitty Q Escape Room has been unveiled by the Dresden-Würzburg Cluster of Excellence for Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter (ct.qmat).

The room is located at the Technische Sammlungen Dresden science museum and is described as being, “perfect for family outings, children’s birthday parties, and school field trips”.

The installation has four separate rooms and 17 puzzles that offer visitors a multisensory experience that explores the quirky world of quantum mechanics. The goal for the participant is to discover the fate of Kitty Q (is she dead or alive?), an imaginary being that embodies the spirit of Schödinger’s cat.

Kitty Q might sound familiar to Physics World readers because we wrote about the imaginary cat in 2021, when ct.qmat launched a mobile phone app that teaches children about quantum mechanics. That app is an escape game, and it has now come to life in Dresden.

The app and escape room were designed in collaboration with Philipp Stollenmayer, who is founder of the independent games designer Kamibox.

Physicist and ct.qmat’s Dresden spokesperson Matthias Vojta says, “By embracing modern gamification techniques, we ensure that learning happens in an engaging and subtle way. The best part [is] you don’t need to be a math or physics expert to enjoy the game!”

The grand opening of the escape room will be on Saturday, 27 April and more information can be found here.

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