”It’s the first science-based escape room.”

If you ask an escape room enthusiast about entanglement puzzles, what likely springs to mind are those intertwined, bent metal nails that you need to separate. However, for Paul Kwiat, an entanglement puzzle is something else completely. Professor Kwiat is an acclaimed physicist, specializing in quantum physics, including quantum entanglement, along with quantum cryptography, dense-coding, quantum teleportation, entanglement distillation, and most recently, optical quantum gates. Phew!

But what’s a physicist doing on REPOD? Besides his many other accomplishments, Professor Kwiat has also created LabEscape, the first science-based escape room. Most of the puzzles in his games are built on different science phenomena such as magnetism, thermodynamics, and polarization. Many of these are rather advanced principles that would be taught at a college-level course. These are not games for kids!

Professor Kwiat explains that he had three goals when creating his escape room. One—to show that science can be both relevant and accessible. Two—to show that these scientific effects are aesthetically beautiful. Three—that science is fun!

His love of science and physics is certainly infectious. We couldn’t resist the opportunity to chat about quantum mechanics, including quantum computers, and cryptography. I truly appreciated that he took the time to explain all these principles to us, even if it meant crushing my romantic notions of how quantum entanglement works. This episode is a bit different, but I think you’ll certainly learn something interesting.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 00:13 Sponsor Break: Cogs By Clockwork Dog, Interactive Show Controls
• 04:53 The Origins of Labescape
• 07:56 What Makes Labescape Different than a Regular Escape Room
• 13:14 Labescape Collaborators
• 15:52 How the Game Has Changed Over the Years
• 20:37 Sponsor Break: Weldwood Digital Marketing Agency
• 23:15 Differences in Customer Play Patterns
• 26:19 Why They Only Charge $6
• 31:38 The Pre-Game Demonstration
• 33:17 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 35:46 Quantum Computing in a Nutshell
• 39:06 The Advantage of Quantum Computing
• 50:17 Sponsor Break: RECON & PG’s Playhouse
• 52:03 Favorite Depiction of Quantum Physics in Popular Culture
• 53:08 Quantum Entanglement
• 58:41 What Comes Next?
• 01:04:16 Credits
• 01:07:05 Listening to the Quiet Voices

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Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• LabEscape Website
• Interested in learning more or supporting LabEscape? Email: LabEscape@illinois.edu
• Kwiat Quantum Information Group
• Scientific American Article on LabEscape
• New York Times Article on LabEScape

About Paul Kwiat

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Dr. Paul Kwiat is a Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a globally recognized expert in quantum optics and quantum information science, known for his groundbreaking work on entangled photons, quantum communication, and foundational quantum experiments. In addition to his extensive academic research, Dr. Kwiat is the founder and driving force behind LabEscape, the world’s first science-based escape room designed specifically for public science engagement. LabEscape blends immersive storytelling with hands-on puzzles grounded in real scientific principles, trying to make complex physics concepts accessible and enjoyable for a broad audience.

LabEscape started as an experiment – could we expose people to the joy of science and discovery, via a science-based ‘escape room’? Specifically, our mission was to show that science – physics in particular – can be relevant and accessible, aesthetically beautiful, and fun!

Participants assume the role of secret agents tasked with solving a high-stakes mission involving the fictional Professor Schrödenberg, world quantum computing expert. The escape room challenges teams to solve a series of puzzles based on physics concepts such as polarization, thermodynamics, and magnetism. These interactive experiences aim to demystify scientific concepts and demonstrate their relevance to everyday life. Importantly, no prior science knowledge is required—just curiosity, teamwork, and a willingness to engage with the challenges.

LabEscape operates as a nonprofit outreach initiative, with proceeds supporting its mission to promote science education. We have now hosted over 16,000 Agents, a diverse range of participants, from families and school groups to corporate teams to groups of quantum physicists, all seeking a unique and intellectually stimulating experience. We’ve also hosted numerous ‘portable’ missions, at various conferences, comic book conventions, the Illinois State Fair, etc. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising LabEscape for its ability to make science fun and approachable. We’re grateful that the experiment has been successful, a testament to the power of creative outreach in inspiring curiosity and a deeper appreciation for science.

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