The Road to the Quantum Computer – A Hands-On Experience at the Cologne Children’s University
Small, cold and smart
This year’s Cologne Children’s University event took place under the theme “Der Weg zum Quantencomputer” (“The Road to the Quantum Computer”) and offered young explorers from grades 4 to 6 an exciting hands-on journey through the world of quantum technology. Hosted at the II. Physical Institute of the University of Cologne, the workshop was led by Annika Kurzmann, Oliver Breunig, Daniel Rosenbach.
At the heart of the event was a lively technology market, where students visited various interactive stations to learn what it takes to build a quantum computer. They discovered how super-thin materials are created, viewed them under a high-resolution microscope, and explored the roles of ultra-cold temperatures, electronics, and vacuum technology in making quantum computing possible.
Throughout the day, the workshop encouraged a playful yet informative look at the world of qubits, quantum behavior, and the advanced technologies that researchers are developing to build the quantum computers of the future.
The Cologne Children’s University was initiated by the university in 2003 and is conducted as a cooperative project by various Cologne universities and scientific institutions affiliated with the Cologne Science Roundtable (KWR). Through this collaboration, the Cologne Children’s University offers a wide range of science-oriented events for children from the third to sixth grade, including lectures, workshops, and occasionally long-term projects.