The art of communicating quantum to the masses
Institute for Quantum Computing alum and Faculty of Arts graduate student is bridging science and communications to improve quantum science literacy
By Naomi Grosman
The discovery of the new mathematics and physics of quantum mechanics 100 years ago unlocked a new frontier for technological progress. It also necessitates a new way to talk about the science — it’s easier to understand the forces behind why an apple falls from a tree compared to the interaction of light and matter as small as single particles.
Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) alum Fiona Thompson (MSc '24) is a PhD student in English within the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Arts. Her graduate studies put an unconventional spin on the interdisciplinary nature of quantum research. Instead of staying in a research lab after receiving a Master of Science in Quantum Information from the Department of Chemistry, she decided to pursue a PhD with a focus on the rhetoric of science and best practices for communicating about emergent quantum technologies.
She was recently awarded the 2026 Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (CGRS), administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The award for doctoral students is valued at $40,000 per year for three years and replaces the Vanier scholarship.
“I'm interested in how we can use methods from rhetorical studies, semiotics and literary analysis to better understand the relationship between experimental quantum science and language. Being in Waterloo’s quantum environment and listening to researchers talk about their areas of expertise inspired me to understand more about language and how we could help non-experts better grasp quantum concepts and also give scientists impactful language to articulate their research.”
- Fiona Thompson, IQC Scientific Outreach Officer and PhD student in English, University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Arts
