There are many great sources of information. We invite you to use the widget on our Get Inspired! page to discover important and interesting events in the history of quantum to help generate ideas on what to make your video about. 

Exploring the Nobel Prize in Physics website and Physical Review Letter's summary of historic papers can also give you an idea of exciting topics, just look for keywords connecting them to quantum (e.g. quantum, entanglement, quantized, qubit, spin, atoms, Bose-Einstein condensate, boson, fermion). Is there a concept used in multiple experiments you want to explore? Is there a technical breakthrough you want to explain in simpler terms? Is there an application that you'd like to learn more about? Once you decide what to make your video about, you can search the internet for more information.

Other blogs like Quantum Atlas, Quantum Frontiers, Science Exchange, and NIST's blog and are great sources of quantum-specific information for non-experts. Video content like YouTube videos and documentaries can also be very informative, just make sure that you trusts the sources; we like Quantum Sense, Minute Physics, and Veritasium to name a few.  

Many peer-review journals also have articles written by experts which summarize key results or research trends for general audiences. You can read about Physical Review publications in Physics Magazine's Viewpoints. 

While there is no need to read original scientific papers to make a successful video, if you are trying to access something and encounter a pay-wall, you may be able to find it for free on https://arxiv.org/. 

Make sure to cite your sources in the video description and in your submission form! 

There are a wide variety of topics in quantum! We invite you to use the widget on our Get Inspired! page to discover important and interesting events in the history of quantum to help generate ideas on what to make your video about. 

You could make a video offering a creative explanation about a fundamental concept, discussing exciting experimental results, or highlighting exiting technologies that make use of quantum properties. We accept a broad interpretation of what counts as 'quantum.' If you aren't sure, look for keywords like quantum, entanglement, quantized, qubit, spin, atoms, Bose-Einstein condensate. 

You can view past finalists on the 2024 Finalists page. Be sure to keep your video within the time limit of 90 seconds. We are evaluating your videos on clarity and creativity, looking for insightful and engaging explanations. Make sure that instead of summarizing historical facts, you are explaining the key physics or concept. Consider showing a draft of your video to classmates, friends, or teachers and see if the concepts are clear to them. Additional nuance will make your video stand out. For example, can you explain where any classical metaphors you are using break down? What makes this concept quantum? 

Yes! Please list your sources in the video description, and also on your submission form. We leave it up to you which citation style to use. Hyperlinks are acceptable in many cases. See our Citing Your Sources page for more details and tips.

We believe you can make great videos without use of artificial intelligence. The 2024 finalist videos offer examples of different creative, insightful approaches, some which show the participants, some which use illustrations, and others that use real live props. 

If you decide to use AI, be intentional and make sure to list what tools you used in your source. We discourage you from using AI generated video and voice-over. We found that several of last year's submissions included the same video segments; AI generated content is not necessarily unique.  If you choose to use AI for content creation, try to be as specific as possible in your prompts. In the another example video on spins, blog contributor Haley used ChatGPT to help make animations by asking for python code for the specific animation of a vector rotating around another vector. Make sure that any use of AI allows your unique ideas and viewpoint to shine.

You may choose to use AI for non-content related tasks, like formatting citations, finding sources in your research, but we encourage you to always be skeptical, use common sense, and fact check. 

No. You are not required to speak or voice-over your video, but we discourage you from using an AI generated voice. Instead, consider providing captions. 

No; we require individual submissions. This is because we have limited resources to support finalists. Requiring individual submissions allows us to maximize our reach. However, collaboration is an extremely important component of research! We encourage you to discuss with your friends and classmates. You may also feature other people in your videos and recieve assistance from others.

We welcome submissions from anywhere in the world. If a visa is required to travel the United States, we will assist in the application process. We have in the past sucessfully secured visas for finalists; however, can not make any guarentees.

The HQI Blog will sponser travel, accommodation, and meals for all finalists. If a finalist is under 18 years of age, we will also sponser a parent/guardian to accompany the finalist.