Last year the world celebrated the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Quantum technology, especially quantum computing, is poised to play a greater role in our lives as scientific advances are made. To recognize this fact, 14 April is designated World Quantum Day. According to the staff at World Quantum Day, 14 April was chosen as “a reference to 4.14, the rounded first digits of Planck’s constant, a product of energy and time that is the fundamental constant governing quantum physics.”[1] The staff goes on to note, “The World Quantum Day aims at engaging the general public in the understanding and discussion of Quantum Science and Technology, namely: how it helps us understand nature at its most fundamental level, how it helped us develop technologies that are crucial for our life today, and how it can lead to future scientific and technological revolutions, and how these can impact our society.”

Why Celebrate Quantum Science and Technology?

The quantum world is a strange one. The staff at There is a Day for That! writes, “You might be thinking, ‘Quantum? Sounds a bit sci-fi!’ And you wouldn't be entirely wrong. Quantum mechanics is the fundamental theory in physics that describes the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It's a realm where things get a little … well, weird! Think particles being in multiple places at once (superposition) or being linked together in spooky ways (entanglement). While it might sound like something out of a movie, these quantum phenomena are the basis for revolutionary technologies.”

Some people might believe that quantum science and technology are subjects that only interest scientists and technologists. Those people might be surprised to learn that their daily lives are impacted by discoveries associated with quantum science and technology. The staff at the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explains, “Quantum science has led to the development of revolutionary technologies such as LED lights, MRI scanners, solar panels, lasers, and the atomic clock, which is essential for GPS.”[2] If those technologies aren’t reason enough to celebrate World Quantum Day, journalists Chris Carroll and Matt Swayne offer a few more reasons:

• Quantum Science Laid the Foundation of the Computer Age: Carroll observes, “The defining technology of our age, the computer microchip processor, is fundamentally quantum mechanical.”[3]

• Quantum Science Can Create Cross Field Revolutions: According to Swayne, “People might think World Quantum Day is just for quantum physicists. It’s not. Quantum technologies have the potential to revolutionize many — if not most — fields, including computing, cryptography, telecommunications and materials science.”[4]

• Quantum Computing Will Remake Society: Quantum computing is garnering more headlines every day; and, there are good reasons for that. Carroll explains, “Quantum computers, which are still in their infancy (or toddlerhood, anyway), are expected to be able to use counterintuitive aspects of quantum physics to quickly polish off computations that could take modern supercomputers millions or billions of years to finish. The practical upshot of this is expected to be disruptive innovation and upheaval across a range of sectors including health care, banking and transportation.”

• Quantum Science Will Improve Security: With the advent of quantum computing, there are fears that today’s encryption systems will be easily broken. Swayne notes, “Everyone’s data is at risk in the post-quantum era. But quantum cryptography also has the potential to provide unbreakable security. That could lead to better security in important sectors for us, such as online banking and national security.”

• Quantum Computing Could Help Save Energy: If you have been reading the headlines, you know that data centers running AI systems use enormous amounts of energy. Swayne reports that quantum science might help mitigate that challenge. He explains, “Quantum computing and other forms of quantum technologies may pay off in improved energy efficiency. The technology could lead to discoveries that pave the way for more efficient energy production and storage, which could help address global energy challenges. Quantum computing, at least theoretically, should lead to much better computational efficiency, which would cut down on the huge energy footprint of today’s data centers.”

• Quantum Technologies Might Discovery New Materials: One of the current concerns of many nations is China’s near monopoly of the rare earths markets. Quantum research might help break that monopoly. Swayne explains, “Quantum technologies could lead to the development of new materials with completely original properties. Think cheap superconductors and materials that aren’t just stronger but also lighter.”

• Quantum Sensors Could Advance Numerous Fields: Swayne explains, “Quantum sensors [have] implications for many fields. [They] can detect extremely small changes in physical quantities, such as magnetic fields, which could have applications in medicine, environmental monitoring, and navigation.”

Concluding Thoughts

Swayne and Carroll didn’t mention one benefit of quantum computing that will help all us: optimization of processes. I predict that optimization of supply chains will be one of the earliest and most useful outputs of quantum computing. That alone is worth celebrating. Swayne also notes the potential economic benefits of quantum computing and other quantum technologies. He writes, “Successfully creating quantum technologies have the potential to build entirely new industries and jobs. Quantum tech will also offer economic benefits for countries and companies that invest in their development.”

There might be other social benefits as well. Carroll suggests that gaining a little quantum knowledge could help you become a social butterfly. “Mind-bending quantum knowledge could make you the star of the party,” he writes. “You’ll sound like you stepped out of the pages of a French philosophical novel explaining ‘superposition,’ which posits seeming absurdities, like your cat is both alive and dead until you check on it (hopefully it survived the period of quantum uncertainty), or atoms can ‘spin’ two ways at once until a quantum computer measures them. And you’ll woo that special someone like never before with another key concept in quantum information science known as ‘entanglement,’ which links the fates of two particles — or hearts? — across infinite distances.”

Whatever reason you latch on to for celebrating World Quantum Day, spread the word. As freelance writer Aleksandar Stevanović observes, “Quantum science is a groundbreaking approach to the development of technology, and one with far-reaching consequences for all humans in the present and future.”[5]

Footnotes

[1] Staff, “Why April 14?” World Quantum Day.

[2] Staff, “World Quantum Day,” The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

[3] Chris Carroll, “7 Reasons You Should Care About World Quantum Day,” Maryland Today, 14 April 2025.

[4] Matt Swayne, “10 Reasons Everyone Should Be Celebrating World Quantum Day,” Quantum Insider, 21 April 2024.

[5] Aleksandar Stevanović, “What is World Quantum Day?” Tom’s Guide, 13 April 2025.