Summary
It is often said that quantum concepts are counterintuitive. However, quantum concepts may not be equally counterintuitive to people from all cultural backgrounds. As cultural psychologists have discovered, culture fundamentally shapes the way people make sense of the world. In particular, the last few decades of research have documented cultural differences in appreciation of dialectical folk epistemology—i.e., recognition of uncertainty and the validity of positions that seem logically contradictory. Furthermore, learning quantum concepts has the potential to promote dialectical reasoning, leading to important social implications. Amongst other positive social outcomes, dialectical reasoning helps people resolve social conflicts, promotes interpersonal and intergroup harmony, and enables forecasting accuracy of social and geopolitical events.
In this project, we seek to provide novel insights into how cultures will adapt to the growing presence of quantum technologies by exploring the links between folk dialecticism and perception/acceptance of quantum physics, drawing on cross-cultural research and psychological methods. If our hypothesized effects are obtained, they may suggest that the integration of quantum technologies into societies not only transforms the economy but also drives constructive cultural change.
Related Content

Rydberg Atom Array Quantum Simulator
Summary Quantum simulators enable probing the static and dynamic properties of correlated quantum many-body systems that would otherwise be numerically inaccessible using classical simulators. We are developing quantum simulators based on arrays of neutral atoms excited to Rydberg states. Such Rydberg atom arrays are advantageous for simulating the dynamics of interacting spin systems (Ising spin […]
February 27, 2020

Entangled States of Beams and their Applications
Summary With David Cory and collaborators at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) we explore how to engineer beams of neutron or photons that carry entanglement. The degrees of freedom that can be entangled include spin (polarization), momentum, displacement, and angular momentum. These have potential applications ranging from studies of helical internal magnetic fields […]
September 7, 2016

Quantum Information Processing with Molecular Lattices
The aim of the work is to develop theoretical tools to simulate and predict the behaviour of a one-dimensional chain of trapped dipolar molecules and to study the nature of entanglement as a design resource.
June 1, 2017

Magnetoelectric Coupling in New Composite Multiferroic Nanostructures as High-Density Quantum Multistate Memory Elements
Summary Magnetoelectric multiferroics are materials that exhibit correlated ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties (i.e., a magnetoelectric effect). The resulting ability of these materials to simultaneously store data in electric polarization and magnetic moment could increase data storage density and data processing speed while reducing energy consumption. This project aims to design and fabricate new composite multiferroic […]
February 1, 2023