Alice in Quantum Land: "Einstein and the soccer match"
With „Einstein und das Fußballmatch“ ("Einstein and the Soccer Match"), the second episode of the German-language audio play series „Alice im Quantenland“ ("Alice in Quantum Land" ) is now available for listening on all popular streaming portals and here on the website! | © Image: PhotonLab / Andi Papelitzky / Dennis Luck

Alice in Quantum Land: "Einstein and the soccer match"

The PhotonLab student laboratory at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics releases the second episode of the German-language audio play series for young and old.

2. June 2023 | by Veit Ziegelmaier

With „Einstein und das Fußballmatch“("Einstein and the Soccer Match"), the second episode of the German language audio play series „Alice im Quantenland“ ("Alice in Quantum Land") is now available for listening on all popular streaming portals and here on the website! The audio play from the PhotonLab at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics is an entertaining educational program aimed at interested children and young people who want to learn more about the phenomena and secrets of quantum physics in a playful and humorous way. This time, the focus is on one of the most famous experiments in physics: the double-slit experiment, packaged in the setting of a quirky and exciting soccer game. But besides Alice and Schrödinger's cat, this time the famous physicist Albert Einstein also has his say, talking to the two of them on the basis of original sound recordings!

TEASER: Einstein und das Fußballmatch

Click here for the full episode:

Alice im Quantenland: Einstein und das Fußballmatch

After the audio play series „Alice im Quantenland“ ("Alice in Quantum Land") began last year with the pilot episode „Eine Katze namens Schrödinger“ ("A Cat Named Schrödinger") and was presented in summer and fall as a live reading, there is now the long awaited second part. Titled „Einstein und das Fußballmatch“ ("Einstein and the Football Match"), it celebrated its live premiere at this year's Münchner Wissenschaftstage / forscha. Now the episode presented by Veit Ziegelmaier and Sofie Silbermann is also published on all common streaming portals as well as here on photonworld.

The voices of Alice and Schrödinger's cat: Veit Ziegelmaier and Sofie Silbermann at the live premiere of episode 2 at forscha 2023 in the Verkehrszentrum of Deutsches Museum in Munich.

In the second episode - warning: spoilers! - Alice and Schrödinger actually meet Albert Einstein, probably the most famous physicist of all time, who actually speaks to them in his original voice on the basis of archive recordings and can provide a decisive clue to Rabbit's whereabouts. Finally, Alice and Schrödinger arrive at the venue of a soccer match. But here in the quantum world, of course, different rules are played by: the positions where the balls actually hit the goal follow interference patterns as known from waves. And so, mysteriously, goals fall even where the opposing defense would not normally expect a ball. Moreover, the audience is urged to always look away at the decisive moment (if there wasn't suddenly a rabbit on the field that briefly interrupts the game). The whole thing is pretty weird! Especially when Alice wants to know exactly what is going on and starts to watch the shots on the goal itself, the trouble is suddenly big. But the physically trained already suspect it: In the double-slit experiment, probably the best-known experiment in quantum physics, exactly the same thing happens. After a lot of action and excitement, Alice, Schrödinger and Rabbit find their way back together. And how it continues after that, you will find out in the next episode. You can listen to the whole episode here on photonworld. Have fun!