The quantum mechanical basis of our technologies, which no one understands!

For ages 13-17 years old

Duration: 8 weeks (2 hours/week)


STEAM Fields: PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, TECHNOLOGY

The quantum mechanical basis of our technologies, which no one understands!

Take a look around you: electronic systems, and especially computers, have permeated our lives everywhere. Cell phones, lasers, drones, even trains and airplanes are based on computers. At the heart of all of this is the transistor, which, however, is governed by the laws of Quantum Mechanics — the science that «no one understands,» but has proven its accuracy in the most rigorous tests.
In the program we will study how the basic principles of quantum physics were discovered and how the mathematics that allowed the invention of the technologies we use every day were developed. We will learn about the debates and dilemmas of the great physicists of the 20th century, such as Planck, Einstein, de Broglie, Bohr, Dirac, Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Feynman and others, and we will explore the big, still unanswered questions and the future of quantum mechanics.

Learning objectives

1.Describe the basic principles of quantum physics (e.g. energy quantization, wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle).
2. Explain how the mathematical methods of quantum physics led to technologies such as computers, lasers, and electronic systems.
3. To analyze the theoretical debates and philosophical dilemmas of the great physicists of the 20th century.

Connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 4 – Quality Education
SDG 7 – Clean and Affordable Energy
SDG 13 – Climate Action
SDG 17 – Collaboration for the Goals