SNOLAB event aims to make understanding AI and other emerging technologies easier

SNOLAB, Sudbury’s leading-edge scientific research facility, is hosting a free event Wednesday evening that aims to help you understand emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. (File)

SNOLAB, Sudbury’s leading-edge scientific research facility, is hosting a free event Wednesday evening that aims to help you understand emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The talk will be held at the Epiroc Theatre at Dynamic Earth from 6-7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

“We hear about it every day, in movies, on TV, in books. But what even are these technologies?” a news release from SNOLAB said.

“What are qubits and how do they work? Can a machine think and what happens when these technologies meet? And how can any of these things improve our lives?”

The centre said the event will be a “relaxed, accessible and engaging panel discussion for a public audience on all things quantum.”

The discussion will be led by three experts in physics and information technology with quantum insights: Dr. Nicola McConkey from Queen Mary University of London’s School of Physical and Chemical Sciences; Dr. Seb Jones from University College of London; and Kipp Grose, SNOLAB’s senior IT officer. It will be moderated by SNOLAB’s research group manager Dr. Stephen Sekula and research scientist Dr. Christine Kraus.

The panel discussion caps off the inaugural SNOLAB Underground Science Institute (SuSi) lecture program hosted at SNOLAB this summer.

This pilot is a training and development program centred on academic lectures, activities and professional development opportunities delivered by experts in their fields.

This summer, SuSi consisted of three two-week blocks themed the dark universe, neutrino science, and quantum technology.

Quantum technology

“Quantum technology is an upcoming field that has seen many recent developments, and shows great promise for the future,” SuSi co-chair Kraus said in the release.

“We are excited to connect researchers in this field with members of our community and answer some of these important questions.”

SNOLAB, the world’s deepest, cleanest underground physics lab, has a growing interest in quantum technology and AI. In January, SNOLAB hosted leading high-energy physics researchers from around the world at a quantum workshop to find common cause between researchers pursuing quantum technology and fundamental physics.

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Later this year, SNOLAB will host its first quantum computing-based experiment. SNOLAB will test high-quality superconducting qubits in its underground facility hoping to solve the quantum decoherence problem, which is the hypothesis that qubit performance is negatively affected by cosmic radiation on Earth’s surface.

In addition to its research interests, SNOLAB is also positioned to be an early adopter of quantum technology in the search for dark matter, Kraus said.

Both the quantum discussion and SuSi are generously supported by the City of Greater Sudbury and Invest Sudbury, as well as Science North and Dynamic Earth.

To register for Wednesday’s event, click here.