Well said.
For the record, as someone who understands magnets not in the least, I always invoke Clarke's Third Law and say that for me they are as close to magic as makes no difference. After all, you can't spell magnetic without magic.
Dom
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jo Brodie
Sent: 23 February 2017 10:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Quantum technology
Posted on behalf of Gaia Deneb (Gaia D. <[log in to unmask]>) Jo (psci-com owner)
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Hi there,
I have been following with interest the recent email exchanges on the theme of "quantum technology", and found the ScienceWise document highlighted by Michael Kenward very informative.
My impression is that the conversations have so far revolved around two separate questions: one thing is to ask "What activities and projects are currently in place to engage the public with quantum technologies?", a different one is to ask "What public perception is attached to quantum technologies?" Most answers I have read have so far dealt with the former, whereas none seemed to address the latter - probably because it seems a much trickier question to answer, as also suggested by the conclusions reported in the ScienceWise document?
If one agrees that not much research has been done to understand how the general public views research in quantum-related areas, that leads me to a slightly more unsettling question, namely - if little is know about the attitude of the public towards quantum technologies, how does one design and build effective activities on the theme?
I should say that I have not attended many events aimed at presenting quantum technologies to the wider public, but those that I have been to or heard of from friends and colleagues did not always strike me as being very effective. An easy trap is to present this topic with too much hype and too little science, I'm afraid... Some hype can help to catch the attention of the audience, but too much of it creates unrealistic expectations and an overall inaccurate picture.
I do apologise if this message sounds overly critical - my PhD focussed on experimental quantum optics, hence I probably have a somewhat biased view on the whole matter. Still, I am saddened every time I spot news headlines or tweets referring to "quantum magic" or including the popular expression "quantum weirdness". There is absolutely nothing weird about quantum mechanics and quantum-based technologies; magnetism is a complex and very subtle research field, yet I have never read of "magnetic weirdness" and do wonder why that is.
To conclude on a slightly more constructive note, I have just read about this initiative
https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/computer-art-project-reveals-poetics-and-joy-quantum-technology/
and thought it would be timely to highlight it here.
Kind regards,
Gaia
Gaia Donati, PhD
Science writer and editor
@dubitareaude
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