These elementary particles hold together the quarks that lie at the heart of matter.
We’ve invited some brilliant and creative folk from the scientific and literary worlds to help us choose the winners of the Quantum Shorts 2013 flash fiction competition.
A panel of judges will select the winners and runner-ups in three different categories: Open International, Student International and Student Singapore. The public will vote and decide the People's choice prize in the Open International category.
“Quantum-inspired fiction will no doubt be just as exciting and unusual as quantum theory,” says Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina, who is a judge in the Open International Category. "We are excited to read the inspired stories that are submitted.”
Another judge is Artur Ekert, Director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies. Ekert is one of the co-inventors of quantum cryptography, a technique for secure communication that harnesses quantum behavior. The more you learn about quantum theory, he reckons, the more it stretches your imagination. "I look forward to seeing how people entering our contest are inspired by their glimpse into the quantum world,” he says.
Judges for the Open International category are listed here and judges for the Student International and Student Singapore categories are listed here.