Google brings Minecraft into the quantum computing equation

Earlier this year, Google launched the Quantum Artifical Intelligence Lab as a means to study how quantum computing might advance machine learning. In a bid to get kids excited in the field, the team has now injected Minecraft into the equation. With millions of kids playing the Mojang-developed behemoth indie title, the Google team realized that it could use the popularity of Minecraft to get younger people involved in quantum computing. The qCraft modpack for Minecraft, as designed in collaboration with MinecraftEdu and Caltech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, lets players experiment with quantum behaviors within Minecraft. The free mod introduces quantum entanglement blocks, superposition, and observer dependency, according to a Google+ blog post. "qCraft isn't a perfect scientific simulation," the team admits, "but it's a fun way for players to experience a few parts of quantum mechanics outside of thought experiments or dense textbook examples." More information can be found on the qCraft website.