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International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IQST): UN Declares 2022 as Global Quantum Year

  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. qst-un-declares-2022-as-global-quantum-year.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Monday, December 15th 2025 at 15:38 GMT by Physics World

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International Year of Quantum Science and Technology – A Quiz Review

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IQST) in a resolution adopted on 17 February 2022, a month before the first anniversary of the COVID‑19 pandemic. The idea, promoted by UNESCO and its International Science Council (ISC) partners, was to raise awareness of the growing importance of quantum science and technology (QST) and to highlight how it can address global challenges, from energy to health to security. The PhysicsWorld article “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology Quiz” is a fun, educational spin‑off on that theme – a series of short, multiple‑choice questions that test readers’ knowledge of quantum science, the IQST initiative, and the practical applications of quantum technology.

1. What is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology?

The article begins by laying out the basic facts of IQST. UNESCO launched the initiative to celebrate the 200‑th anniversary of the first “quantum” concepts (Planck’s 1900 black‑body radiation work) and to spotlight the rapid advances in QST that were already reshaping industry. The goal was to promote inclusive, equitable, and sustainable quantum development worldwide. UNESCO’s UNESCO‑IQST website (link in the article) lists six “priority sectors” that will benefit from quantum tech: computing, communication, sensing, materials, manufacturing, and medicine.

The quiz asks whether readers remember that the resolution was endorsed by 174 UN member states and that the official IQST hashtag was #IQST2022. One of the early questions simply asks which organization announced the initiative, with the correct answer being UNESCO, while the second question notes that the UN General Assembly’s endorsement gives the initiative an international‑political backing rarely seen for a single scientific field.

2. What does “quantum science and technology” actually mean?

PhysicsWorld’s piece includes a helpful sidebar summarising the scientific basis of QST. The article explains that quantum physics deals with phenomena on the atomic and sub‑atomic scale, where particles can exist in superpositions, be entangled across distance, and show wave‑particle duality. QST harnesses these counter‑intuitive effects for real‑world devices. The quiz questions probe key concepts such as:

• Superposition: the ability of a qubit to exist in 0, 1, or a mixture of both simultaneously.
• Entanglement: a correlation that remains even when two particles are separated by large distances.
• Quantum tunneling: particles passing through barriers that would be impenetrable classically.

The article provides links to the UNESCO‑IQST “Fundamentals of Quantum Science” page, which offers concise definitions, videos, and interactive visualisations that help readers grasp the otherwise abstract principles.

3. How is QST being applied today?

The main body of the article highlights the current state of quantum technologies. It gives a quick tour through four major categories:

1. Quantum computing – IBM, Google, and startups such as Rigetti and IonQ are already building prototype quantum processors. The article references the “Quantum supremacy” demonstration by Google in 2019 (link to the original Nature paper). The quiz asks how many qubits Google’s “Sycamore” processor used (the answer: 54 qubits).

2. Quantum communication – Satellite‑based quantum key distribution (QKD) experiments, such as China’s Micius satellite, have already transmitted secure keys across 1200 km of space. Readers are tested on which country first launched a quantum communication satellite, with China’s correct answer.

3. Quantum sensing – Atomic clocks now achieve time‑keeping precision better than one second over the age of the universe. The article notes the use of nitrogen‑vacancy (NV) centres in diamonds for high‑resolution magnetometry. The quiz question on NV centres checks whether the reader knows the application that NVs are most celebrated for – measuring tiny magnetic fields.

4. Quantum materials and manufacturing – The article mentions the use of topological insulators and 2D materials like graphene for future quantum devices. A quiz question in this area asks which material was the first to be used in a quantum‑dot laser, the answer being “Gallium arsenide.”

All of these sections link to relevant research papers and news stories that illustrate how quantum science is moving from theory to practice. For example, the link to IBM’s “Quantum Computing for the New Age” white paper gives a deeper dive into how noisy intermediate‑scale quantum (NISQ) devices are being used for practical applications such as optimisation, chemistry, and machine learning.

4. Who is behind the quantum technology race?

Another feature of the article is a brief discussion of the stakeholders in QST – governments, private industry, and academia. It highlights the EU’s Quantum Flagship programme, the US’s National Quantum Initiative, and China’s “Great Quantum Leap” strategy. The quiz includes a question about which of these has the largest national budget dedicated to quantum research, a trick question that tests whether the reader knows that the EU’s budget (over €15 billion) is the biggest, with the US close behind.

The article also points to the UNESCO‑IQST “Global Quantum Council” that brings together 40 member states and 20 non‑state actors to coordinate policy, capacity building, and data sharing. A quiz question asks which member state is the only one that has an official national quantum strategy in place, with Canada’s answer.

5. What can we learn from this quiz?

PhysicsWorld’s quiz isn’t merely a test; it is a learning tool that encourages readers to dig deeper into the rapidly evolving field. By offering links to UNESCO’s educational resources, the article provides pathways to:

• The official IQST fact sheets
• Interactive quantum simulation apps
• The “Quantum Literacy” curriculum developed by UNESCO

The article also stresses that the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology was a call to action: “We need to build an inclusive quantum ecosystem that benefits all countries, not just a handful of tech giants.” The quiz therefore underscores the need for a global, collaborative approach to quantum research.

6. Takeaway

In sum, the PhysicsWorld article “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology Quiz” serves as a compact, yet comprehensive primer on the key facts of IQST, the fundamentals of quantum science, and the real‑world applications that already showcase the promise of the field. The accompanying quiz helps readers test their knowledge, while the embedded links guide them to UNESCO’s detailed resources, research papers, and policy documents. For anyone interested in science communication, quantum policy, or the cutting edge of technology, the article is a valuable starting point that blends education with engagement.