QUANTUM JUNGLE
Quantum Jungle is an interactive art installation that playfully visualizes quantum physics concepts. With over 1000 touch-sensitive metal springs and tens of thousands of tiny LED lights, Quantum Jungle simulates a quantum particle movement through Schrödinger's Equation each time you wobble one of the springs. Each simulation reveals quantum concepts such as superposition, interference, wave-particle duality, and waveform collapse. Quantum Jungle is an interactive light installation wall display realized by Berlin-based game artist Robin Baumgarten in collaboration with a team of quantum physicists, The work is both entrancing and educational.
The Ironside Art Gallery (IAG) is the home of the exciting Quantum Jungle installation, representing a landmark work of both art and technology to celebrate the Art & Tech community of innovators, educators and AI explorers in Miami.
Ofer Mizrahi, in collaboration with the Quantum Jungle art-tech designer Robin Baumgarten, is leading the way for art+tech to become an integral component in the more familiar art+design realm in Miami. This partnership aims to develop a product line of Quantum Jungle works for international display and distribution.
Miami Ironside is host to year-round tech events and with the introduction of the Quantum Jungle installation at the Ironside Art Gallery, hopes to become a vibrant tech hub for the Miami community.
QUANTUM JUNGLE is an interactive art installation that playfully visualizes Quantum Physics concepts on a large wall filled with novel touch-sensitive metal springs and thousands of tiny LEDs. It calculates Schrödinger's Equation to model the movement of a quantum particle and demonstrates concepts such as superposition, interference, wave-particle duality, and quantum waveform collapse.
The design and construction of the hardware is a deliberate choice to complement the quantum scientific content: On one hand, the springs and lights correspond directly to the particle-wave duality of quantum particles, and on the other hand, the immediacy and tactility of the spring input are an intentional antithesis to how mysterious and beyond human grasp quantum effects are. The interactions have been designed from scratch over several iterations to create a positively playful audience experience drawing on Robin Baumgarten’s artistic and technical background in both art, physics, and game design.
Together with a scientifically accurate implementation of Schrödinger's Equation, Quantum Jungle becomes an innovative and unique art installation that makes quantum mechanics more approachable and entertaining than ever before.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Quantum Jungle is a modular art installation made up of several large PCB panels with LEDs and touch-sensitive metal springs, mounted on a wooden base that is hung on a wall. Signal processing happens on a series of Arduinos, while visuals are prepared and sent from a PC via ethernet to the Arduinos and subsequently the LEDs. All parts have been specifically designed and assembled by Robin Baumgarten. The software is a custom C# program that interfaces with the quantum algorithms (written in python) provided by the quantum scientific team.
HOW TO INTERACT WITH QUANTUM JUNGLE
1. When idle, the installation displays expanding rings, which is called “idle animation.
2. When the audience interacts with the installation by touching the springs, the chosen springs become the starting positions of a quantum particle, which is called a “superposition.” Expanding ring effects will accompany these touches and each chosen spring will stay illuminated.
3. Once the audience is finished choosing springs, the quantum simulation begins. Quantum mechanics will determine the movement of the quantum particle, and because it cannot be observed, we do not know where it is, because it is in a quantum state and therefore in many positions at once.
The probability distribution of these positions is visualized as a colorful expanding cloud where the brightness of each ring corresponds to its probability of the particle being in this position.
4. To find the particle, the audience must touch another spring. This will collapse the quantum state and the particle becomes a classical particle in one single location, which is then revealed on the wall, accompanied by a particle effect, called a quantum wave.
5. After a short while, the installation will return to its idle state.
NOTE: *This whole process is related to the thought experiment of Schrödinger's Cat.
A BIT OF QUANTUM HISTORY
What is Schrodinger’s Equation? The Schrödinger equation governs the wave function of a quantum-mechanical system and its discovery was a significant landmark in the development of the subject by Erwin Schrodinger in 1925, who later received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933.
What does Schrödinger's equation explain? The Schrödinger equation describes the form of the probability waves (or wave functions) that govern the motion of small particles, and specifies how these waves are altered by external influences
… as seen when interacting with the QJ installation.
What is Schrodinger’s Cat Experiment? Schrodinger’s Cat is a thought experiment that illustrates the paradox of quantum superposition, where a hypothetical cat may be considered simultaneously both alive and dead, while unobserved in a closed box, as a result of its fate being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur. Devised in 1935 while in conversation with Einstein, the illustrates the problems of other interpretations of quantum mechanics at the time.
What was the purpose of Schrödinger's cat experiment? Schrödinger's thought experiment was designed to show what the Copenhagen interpretation would look like if the mathematical terminology used to explain superposition in the microscopic world was replaced by macroscopic terms that the average person could visualize and understand.
… and experience, when interacting with our QJ installation.
What is the Copenhagen interpretation? The Copenhagen interpretation is the oldest collection of views on the meaning of quantum mechanics, which came about in the mid-1920s, and remains one of the most commonly taught. Quantum mechanics cannot easily be reconciled with everyday language and observation and has often seemed counter-intuitive to physicists, including its inventors. However, the ideas grouped together as the Copenhagen Interpretation suggest a way to think about how the mathematics of quantum theory relates to physical reality
… which can be experienced when interacting with our QJ installation.