Dear Readers,
Thank you for being here!
I took a short break from writing for Qoltov to focus on some important changes at my end, including relocating to a new continent to continue my research in a new direction. It took a little time to settle, but I am excited to be back with new stories and fresh ideas.
My publishing schedule may shift as I find my new rhythm, but I will aim to release at least one Qoltov story each week. Now, I will not delay you further from reading the next adventure of Alice and Bob in Quantum Land.
Before you continue, I would like to share a small update: as we near the conclusion of the first part of Alice and Bob’s journey, I have revisited and refreshed the opening chapters. The early stories were written when I was just starting to find my voice, and I believe we have grown together through this series and through the Qurious Quills science fiction stories.
As a thank you, here is the reworked version of the very first story of Alice and Bob — Finding Quantum Land. I hope you enjoy it.
See you in the Quantum Land!
1. Finding Quantum Land!
In my previous post, we explored the famous Schrödinger’s cat paradox. It’s the fantastic idea of a cat being both dead and alive at the same time. Many readers wondered: How is such a paradox even possible? Today, childhood best friends Alice and Bob will take us on a journey to find out.
Meet Alice, an ace soccer player who understands the world through motion and action, and Bob, a scientist excited to step out of theory and experience quantum physics firsthand. Together, they decide to leave the familiar world behind and venture into the mysterious Quantum Land. Buckle up — things are about to get strange!
An Ordinary Day
It was the kind of afternoon that made everyone feel good. The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden stripes across the town park. Alice and Bob walked home after Alice’s soccer practice, with Alice bouncing her soccer ball casually. She still wore her blue team jersey, proudly stained with grass, while Bob carried an untidy stack of papers and a notebook filled with scribbles.
Bob and Alice had been best friends since grade school. Alice trusted instinct and action, always excelling on the soccer field. Bob was curious about everything, forever fascinated by science and how things worked.
“You seem extra happy today,” Alice noted, gently kicking her ball forward.
Bob smiled widely. “I have exciting news. Next week, I am teaching quantum mechanics to school students for a special project.”
Alice laughed softly. “Quantum mechanics? To students? Brave move, Professor Bob.”
“If I can explain it clearly enough for you to understand,” Bob teased, nudging her gently, “then it will be easy for the students!”
Alice pretended offense. “Hey, I understood your lesson on gravity perfectly fine, thank you. Kick the ball, ball comes down. Simple.”
“Exactly,” Bob smiled. “But quantum physics is different. Strange things happen at very tiny scales.”
Alice bounced her ball again, but this time it jerked sideways as if pushed by an unseen hand. Both stopped and stared. “Did you see that?” Alice asked quietly.
Bob nodded slowly, his smile fading. “That was strange.”
Approaching an underpass near the soccer field, Bob continued, albeit cautiously, “At quantum scales, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously. Scientists call it a superposition.”
Before Alice could respond, a delayed echo softly repeated from behind them, “…multiple states simultaneously.”
Alice stopped abruptly, her voice tinged with confusion. “First the ball, now your echo. What is happening?”
Bob laughed nervously. “Either my explanations have suddenly become very effective, or something quantum-like is happening around us. But that cannot be, we are far too big for quantum effects!”
A sparrow landed on a branch ahead, flickering briefly as if existing in two spots at once before settling onto just one branch. Alice looked at Bob suspiciously. “Did you plan quantum tricks for your lecture?”
“Absolutely not,” Bob insisted, equally puzzled.
Going Out of Place
Just then, a sharp whistle pierced the air from behind the trees. It sounded exactly like an old-fashioned steam locomotive, entirely out of place in the park.
“Is that a train whistle?” Alice asked, puzzled. “There are no tracks here.”
Curiosity drew them forward through the trees, where they discovered a polished, vintage train labeled “Quantum Express.” Gleaming tracks stretched mysteriously into a tunnel of shimmering light.
Alice read the name aloud, “Quantum Express? What could that possibly mean?”
Bob shook his head, equally mystified but intrigued. “I have no idea. But it feels like an invitation.”
After a moment of hesitation, Bob stepped aboard first, reaching back to help Alice. “Professor Bob, leading the way,” Alice joked, hiding her nervousness behind humor as she climbed aboard.
Inside, the train felt cozy and surprisingly ordinary, except for a control panel gently flickering with unusual diagrams and symbols. The door closed behind them, and the train began moving. Not forward, but it seemed inwards.
Alice and Bob exchanged alarmed glances as everything outside the windows began shifting rapidly. Trees and buildings blurred into indistinct shapes, grains of sand stretched into vast landscapes, and molecules grew as large as mountains.
Alice grabbed the railing tightly. “We are shrinking!”
Bob’s eyes widened with realization. “We must be approaching the scales where quantum phenomena naturally occur.”
The Journey Begins
Trying to stay calm, Alice asked thoughtfully, “You mentioned earlier that strange things happen at tiny scales. But what exactly are these tiny scales?”
Bob’s eyes lit up as he explained gently, “At extremely small sizes, scientists discovered the building blocks of matter — molecules, atoms, and even smaller particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons. Just imagine, one milliliter of water contains about 10 quintillion molecules — that is a 1 followed by 19 zeros.”
Alice whistled softly, amazed. “And each molecule is made from even smaller pieces, right?”
“Exactly,” Bob confirmed. “Water molecules are made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Each atom itself is mostly empty space, with tiny electrons whizzing around.”
Alice frowned thoughtfully, connecting the dots. “But the rules for these tiny particles must be completely different. Otherwise, we would never see those strange things happening around us.”
“You are right,” Bob nodded eagerly. “At this tiny scale, our familiar rules vanish. Quantum physics takes over, allowing particles to exist in multiple places at once, jump unpredictably, or behave both like waves and particles simultaneously.”
Alice’s eyes brightened with curiosity. “Then let us see it for ourselves!”
Finding Quantum Land
The train gently stopped, and the doors opened onto a breathtaking new world. Instead of their familiar soccer field, they stepped onto shimmering terrain formed by colorful, Lego-like blocks. The air itself felt surreal.
Alice cautiously stepped forward, eyes wide with wonder. “This is wild.”
Bob surveyed the surroundings with cautious fascination. “We must really be in Quantum Land, where quantum effects become visible to us. Things probably do not behave like soccer balls here.”
Alice crouched to examine the glowing blocks beneath her feet. She reached out, but her hand passed straight through as if they were mere illusions. Startled, she exclaimed softly, “They are not solid!”
Bob leaned closer, intrigued. “Particles at this scale can act like waves, spreading out. They never remain fixed in just one spot.”
Suddenly, small glowing particles darted around them, blinking in and out of existence, popping from one spot to another as if teleporting. Nearby, shimmering waves rippled gently through the air, merging and separating like overlapping musical notes. Alice watched a glowing particle hover uncertainly between two spots before it decisively appeared in one.
“So they really can be in multiple places at once?” Alice asked, trying to grasp the sight. “Is that why I could not grab one?”
“Exactly,” Bob said warmly. “It is a superposition. And look there,” he pointed at the particle that had moved, “that is quantum jumping, where particles leap from one state to another without existing in between.”
Alice took a deep breath, both amazed and overwhelmed. “It is difficult to believe we are actually seeing this. It goes against everything we know. Yet somehow, everything we see in everyday life is built from this strange, incredible world.”
Just then, the Quantum Express whistle sounded softly behind them, signaling it was time to return. Bob noticed Alice’s wistful expression and gently reassured her. “Even the best microscopes today cannot see what we have just experienced. I have so much to share with my students now.”
Alice glanced back thoughtfully. “I just wish this was not our only trip. There is still so much to discover here.”
Bob smiled confidently, “Something tells me this is just the beginning of our adventures in Quantum Land. Ready for the next adventure?”
Alice’s face brightened immediately, matching his enthusiasm. “Always.”
Popular Science Books
“Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland” by George Gamow — This book has been my own introduction to the fascinating world of quantum Physics as a school kid, and this series is my tribute to it!
“Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Quantum Physics Is Different” by Philip Ball — This book demystifies quantum mechanics, exploring its strange behaviors and what they mean for our understanding of reality.
“The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics” by Gary Zukav — A creative exploration of quantum physics, written with an accessible and poetic style that engages readers from all backgrounds.
Textbooks for General Readers
“Quantum Physics: A Beginner’s Guide” by Alastair I. M. Rae
An engaging overview of quantum physics, breaking down superposition, entanglement, and uncertainty for non-specialists.“Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum” by Leonard Susskind and Art Friedman
A clear and rigorous introduction to quantum mechanics, blending essential mathematics with conceptual insights. It’s perfect for readers who want to understand the subject in greater depth while staying grounded in the fundamentals.
Review Articles
“Understanding Quantum Mechanics: A Review and Synthesis in Precise Language” by Brian Drummond
An almost beginner-friendly yet comprehensive review of quantum mechanics principles.
I hope you enjoyed exploring the wonders of Quantum Land with Alice and Bob. What quantum adventure should they embark on next? I would be delighted to hear your ideas or questions, it’s your curiosity brings these stories to life!
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May the quriosity be with you 🖖
#YearOfQuantum #IYQ25 #StayCurious #QuantumLand #Quriosity #QuantumComputing #Science #Innovation #Technology
