The Quantum Kid

Inside CERN: is quantum computing the answer to the next LHC upgrade?

October 4, 2026·15 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Kai visited CERN just before the Large Hadron Collider shut down for one of the biggest upgrades in its history.The High-Luminosity LHC will dramatically increase collision density: stronger magnets (up to around 12 tesla), far more particle interactions, and an explosion in data that will push computing infrastructure to its limits.So 9-year-old Kai went to CERN to ask a direct question: if nature is quantum, and the data is growing beyond anything we've handled before, could quantum computers help?Inside CMS, 100 metres underground, protons collide every 25 nanoseconds. Millions of detector channels record events at microscopic precision. Physicists simulate quantum field theory on classical machines, and know exactly where approximations start to strain.Chapters:0:00 Introduction to CERN0:21 Particle collision process1:34 Quantum computing role3:35 Inside the CMS experiment5:55 Simulation challenges8:21 Data analysis in control room10:01 Future computing efforts12:05 Global data distribution13:26 Magnet testing and upgradeThis episode covers serious scientific questions emerging from the next phase of high-energy physics. Follow the show to catch future episodes, and watch the previous ones!Oh, and leave a comment here on Spotify. Kai is looking forward to each and every one!🎧 Follow The Quantum Kid on Spotify for new episodes▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaiTheQuantumKid🌐 tesseractquantum.com

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