Scientists are often advised to explain their work in terms that a child can understand—a task that is particularly challenging when it comes to such complex topics as quantum mechanics. It’s easier when the interviewer is an actual child, like 9-year-old Kai Moskvitch, aka the Quantum Kid. Kai and his mother, theoretical physicist and science communicator Katia Moskvitch, co-host The Quantum Kid podcast, which recently crossed the 100,000 subscriber mark and has been nominated for a Webby Award. (Public voting ends tomorrow; you can vote here.)
Katia Moskvitch got the idea for a podcast after her precocious son—who loved scrolling through YouTube science videos and has been programming in Python since he was six—kept peppering her with big questions about the origins of life and the universe. And, of course, quantum physics. Moskvitch found it challenging to answer all Kai’s questions, despite her training, and when she asked if he wanted deeper answers via his own YouTube channel, Kai responded with an enthusiastic yes.
The duo started the podcast last summer, producing about one episode per month. It certainly helps that Moskvitch has plenty of contacts within the quantum physics community, both in academia and in industry. For instance, Kai interviewed Peter Shor about his seminal quantum algorithm, as well as University of Texas, Austin, physicist Scott Aaronson about time travel.
Per Moskvitch, Aaronson later watched the episode with his own two children, who kept asking follow-up questions. “This is the intended audience,” Moskvitch told Ars. “It’s parents watching, ideally with their children. I don’t think many kids are watching it on their own. According to YouTube analytics, our primary age group is between 25 and 45.”