Science Park version of Minecraft game downloaded a million times: ‘Aim is to teach about quantum’
In the Minecraft game Quantum Realm, players enter the quantum world via the labs of Science Park. The University of Amsterdam funded the development of the game to teach the younger generation more about quantum physics. And not without success: the game has already been downloaded a million times.
The adventure in the Minecraft game Quantum Realm begins at Science Park, which has been recreated in Minecraft using Minecraft-blocks. As a player, you walk into the laboratory, which is based on the actual physics laboratory at Science Park. There you find Professor F., who rushes out of the lab after receiving a phone call and orders you – featuring the recorded voice of Professor of Experimental Quantum Physics Florian Schreck – not to touch anything and definitely not to press the red button. Of course, everyone presses that tempting button. Then, accompanied by exciting visual and sound effects, you are suddenly reduced to a quantum particle and transported to the Quantum Realm. It is the player’s task to solve various quantum puzzles in order to return to ‘the normal world’.
Think differently
Minecraft is a popular computer game in which players can build and explore a world using blocks and then try to survive in it. In the game, you can go on adventures in different worlds that you can download online, including the Quantum Realm. Dimitri van Esch, who works for various companies involved in quantum technology, developed the game together with network hub Quantum Amsterdam and the FNWI. Van Esch’s son is co-owner of game developer Fun Creators, a studio licensed to build Minecraft games, which created the Minecraft game.
“To solve the quantum puzzles, you have to do something different than you expect to do—think completely differently—which is part of quantum. One of these puzzles allows you to experience the quantum Zeno effect in a playful way,” says Van Esch. “The Zeno effect means that a quantum particle is kept in a certain state when you try to measure it.” In the puzzle, you have to measure Minecraft blocks flying by at exactly the right moment to stop them. These repeated measurements slow down their movement – just like the Zeno effect in quantum mechanics. “This allows you to experience for yourself how this extraordinary quantum phenomenon works,” says Van Esch. The Zeno effect is important to understand in quantum physics because trying to measure quantum particles can influence how they behave.
Quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics is a branch of physics that studies how the smallest particles behave and forms the basis for technologies such as quantum computers. is abstract and complicated. Minecraft makes quantum accessible to a wide audience, says Van Esch. “I was wondering how we could explain quantum mechanics to normal people,” says Van Esch. “When I told people about quantum, they didn’t know what to make of it.” That's where Minecraft comes in handy, according to Van Esch, as it allows the function of quantum mechanics to be explained in a playful way. “You can play Minecraft from the age of five, and it doesn’t stop at thirty. So we can reach a much wider audience.”
Millions of downloads
The Quantum Realm has now been downloaded a million times in the two months since the game was released. “It’s far beyond our expectations. We had a party last week,” says Van Esch about this milestone. Never before has quantum mechanics been brought to the attention of such a large and diverse audience on such a scale, according to Van Esch. “It’s the most successful quantum outreach ever. It has been number one in the rankings of most downloaded educational games in Minecraft for weeks.” The game is free to play thanks to sponsorship from Quantum Delta NL and the UvA. You can download it from the Minecraft website.
“We want more people to study quantum, and this is also good branding for the UvA,” says Van Esch. With this game, Van Esch aims to get young people excited about quantum, with the ultimate goal of attracting more science students to quantum. “We need to make quantum cool. And we’ve succeeded in doing that with Minecraft.” In addition, this game could help with physics lessons at school. Minecraft has been used on a large scale in education since 2020. The Quantum realm is also available for schools, including a manual for teachers on how to use it in class. It is not known how much the game is currently being played in schools.
