IBM: Quantum Computing Games People Play. There’s always a joker in any group. No matter how serious, how technical, how spiritual the subject, there is always someone casting humor at it. Believe it or not, quantum computing is no exception. Perhaps not all is done in humor, but in fun; the quantum computing geeks have managed to produce games. Yes, like Space Invaders.
IBM Research Blog author James Wootton has taken the time, done his due diligence, and pieced together some history of gaming during technological revolutions. “From Bertie the Brain in 1950 to Spacewar! In 1962, early games were designed to do serious tasks alongside the fun, such as showcasing hardware, providing examples of how software is written or pushing devices to their extremes.”
And let’s not forget about IBM’s contribution: In the 1950’s they gave us computerized checkers, in the 1990’s, chess, and so on.
Q|Cards> Quantum computing card game card set.
Now, with the advent of quantum computing, training and education games have their home. On a Ferris wheel at the quantum game jam in Helsinki, the world came together to play quantum computing video games. Mr. Wootton provides his entertaining take on several of the arcade-esque attractions. The Quantum Game Jam website is pretty good as well.
From the game jam site, “Quantum Wheel is a three-day game jam at the heart of Helsinki aimed at creating games based on Quantum Physics, both for education and research. The event continues the Quantum Game Jam series, and it is a Finnish Game Jam organized event in collaboration with quantum physicists from the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Quantum Technology (Aalto University) and University of Turku and IBM Zurich.”
Though the jam last took place in February, 2019, there are plenty of games you can play online, get quantum entertained, and hopefully learn something. Give yourself or your team a break, take a peek. Because quantum is coming. Qubit
James Wootton’s IBM Research Blog piece…
