The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics could save our planet: Here's how Quantum research is unlocking a sustainable future.
- Dr Audrey-Flore Ngomsik
- Oct 12
- 6 min read
Why you should care about quantum physics (even If you’re not a scientist)
In the mid-1980s, three scientists watched something impossible. They saw the weird physics of invisible particles,stuff that normally only happens in a world far too small to see, playing out in a circuit sitting on their desk.
On October 7th, 20205, these physicists named John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their revolutionary discovery showing that quantum mechanics can function on a larger scale than previously believed. Their research, has been instrumental in the advancements of technology we see today, such as the development of quantum computers. These innovations have the potential to significantly impact how we tackle major global issues like climate change.
If you’re thinking, “Quantum physics? That sounds way too complex,” hold on.
This discovery isn’t just about theoretical science. It’s about harnessing the power of quantum mechanics to tackle some of the world’s most urgent problems, like the climate crisis.
And yes, you should care.
Breaking down quantum physics
What is quantum tunneling?
Imagine you’re trapped in a room with no way out. In the world of classical physics, that’s it, you’re stuck.
But in the strange realm of quantum physics, particles can defy these limitations.
Quantum tunneling is the phenomenon where tiny particles pass through barriers that would be completely impossible to cross in the everyday world.
Quantum tunneling is like discovering you can just... walk through the wall. Not break through it. Not unlock the door. Just pass through it like you're a ghost. That's the magic of quantum mechanics.
The big discovery: Quantum mechanics at human scales
Before Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis came onto the scene, most scientists thought that quantum behaviour only existed at the atomic or subatomic level. It was believed that once you scaled things up, quantum effects would fade away.
It's like how one person can keep a secret, but get 100 people in a room and suddenly everyone knows.
But these three researchers proved that wrong.
They built a circuit using superconductors materials that conduct electricity without resistance, and created a special setup called a “Josephson junction.”
In this experiment, they did something extraordinary: they made billions of electrons act as though they were one single particle, synchronizing like a perfectly coordinated flash mob.
Now here's the really cool part:
These scientists watched this giant team of electrons walk straight through a wall, like a video game character using a cheat code.
But here's the twist: they could only walk through the wall in very specific ways, kind of like how Super Mario can only jump in certain patterns.
It's like if you got a million of your friends together, you all held hands, and then you walked through your office wall, but you could ONLY do it while singing certain songs. Not just any song. Only specific ones.
When the scientists showed everyone this actually worked, all the other scientists basically went nuts.
But it wasn't impossible. It happened. And they could see it with their own eyes, without needing a super-powerful microscope.
Pretty cool, right?
This breakthrough demonstrated that quantum effects could exist on a much larger scale than ever thought possible.
Why this discovery could change everything
The birth of quantum computers
This seemingly “weird” behaviour is exactly what makes quantum computers possible.
Every time you hear about quantum computing breakthroughs, Google's quantum supremacy, IBM's quantum processors, etc., you're looking at the children and grandchildren of Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis's work.
While traditional computers use binary systems (1s and 0s), quantum computers rely on quantum bits, which can represent multiple states at once.
This allows quantum computers to solve complex problems much faster and more efficiently than classical computers ever could.
And here’s where it gets interesting for our planet: Quantum computers could play a critical role in combating climate change.
The role of quantum computers in solving global challenges
Revolutionizing climate science
Climate modeling is brutally complex.
Understanding and predicting climate change requires analyzing vast amounts of data, billions of interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, and human activities. Traditional computers simply can’t handle the complexity. But quantum computers, leveraging the discoveries made by Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis, could bring massive advancements in climate modeling.
Here’s how:
Optimizing renewable energy systems: Quantum computing could transform the way we manage renewable energy sources like solar and wind, creating more efficient grids that optimize energy storage and distribution across large regions in real-time.
Innovating carbon capture: By simulating molecular behaviour at the quantum level, quantum computers could design new materials to capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gases.
Improving environmental monitoring: Quantum sensors could detect minute changes in the environment with precision, allowing us to better track ocean acidification, monitor forest health, and measure greenhouse gas emissions.
Unlocking fusion energy: Quantum computers could also help solve the mysteries of nuclear fusion, a potential clean energy source by simulating the behaviour of plasma, which is currently beyond the reach of classical computers.
The economic opportunity: Quantum is the future
The implications of this technology are not just environmental, they’re economic.
The quantum revolution is already underway, and the countries and companies that master it will have a significant competitive edge in the 21st-century economy.
Nations like China, the U.S., and the EU are heavily investing in quantum technologies. In fact, quantum computing is already integrated into technologies we rely on every day, from smartphones to data centers. The next wave of innovation is on the horizon, and it’s going to shape the global economy in ways we can’t even fully predict yet.
Why is it so significant?
For over a century, physicists have debated: How big can quantum effects get? When does quantum weirdness stop, and regular physics take over?
The work of Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis shows that quantum phenomena can manifest on a macroscopic scale, meaning they can happen in objects large enough to see and manipulate, like a circuit you can hold in your hand. This breakthrough has changed the way we think about quantum mechanics and its applications.
It’s a bit like discovering that your entire house can phase through reality, not just a single object. The scale is everything.
The Power of control: From chaos to solutions
One of the most exciting things about this discovery is control. By refining quantum phenomena in a practical, human-scale system, these scientists showed that we don’t just have to observe quantum behaviour, we can actively control it.
In a world full of uncertainty and rapid change, this ability to harness and direct quantum forces could be the key to solving some of humanity’s most complex challenges, including the fight against climate change. If we can control the smallest particles, maybe, just maybe, we can also control the fate of our planet.
A 40-Year journey from curiosity to global impact
From 1984-1985, Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis were conducting experiments that many thought would have little practical application. Fast forward to 2025, and their work is not only recognized with a Nobel Prize but has also become the foundation of a technology that could change the world.
We don’t have 40 years to solve the climate crisis, but quantum computing could help us fast-track the research and solutions we desperately need. This technology could accelerate climate models, speed up material science, and revolutionize energy solutions, all in a fraction of the time it would take with classical computers.
Why did they get the Nobel Prize?
Three physicists proved that quantum mechanics can operate at a much larger scale than previously thought. This discovery made quantum computers possible, and these computers could be the breakthrough we need to address climate change, improve energy systems, and enhance our environmental understanding.
What started as a question about the limits of physics has now become a powerful tool for solving global problems. Quantum technology is here, and its potential to help us build a sustainable future is limitless.
Why this matters to you
As Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, put it: “Quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology, and its surprises continue to offer new possibilities.”
The true value of this research lies not just in understanding the world but in using that understanding to change the world.
Just as these physicists made the impossible possible in the lab, we now have the opportunity to apply their discoveries to impossible challenges like climate change and resource scarcity.
The power of fundamental research is undeniable.
You can’t always predict where it leads, but when it does pay off, it pays off in a big way.
Your move
Next time someone questions the importance of quantum physics or the value of funding cutting-edge scientific research, remember the story of three physicists who took an abstract concept and turned it into a tool that could change the world.
Quantum computers might just be the key to saving our planet.
Now before you think every Nobel Prize is about saving humanity, let’s stay grounded.
Our favorite award ceremony just happened, it's called the 𝐈𝐠 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 (Ignoble Nobel Prize).
For 35 years, they've been honoring 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 "𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤."
The Ig Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 [2] went to researchers studying how human hair behaves in zero gravity.
Because apparently, bad hair days even happen in space.
Both matter.
One makes the impossible possible.
The other reminds us that curiosity, even ridiculous curiosity, is how we get there in the first place.