During the time of the circuit breaker in Singapore, the science department in our school has suggested we create our CREST project, by finding an area of interest in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) world. I have researched on the topic of quantum computing, and it is an area that has interested me for a long time, and its development can impact many industries and humanity as a whole.

How my project was successful/not successful -e.g. What went well and what didn’t

• My project was successful because it has successfully discussed the topic and answered it in a cohesive and structural manner.
• What is easy? I found the structural arrangement of the report easy because every paragraph is is a development from the previous one. And I found the final structure of the report/project cohesive and easy for others to understand.
• What is hard? Research takes lots of time, as this is an area that I have not investigated before, and there are a lot of areas and sub-topics within the project which requires in-depth research. The interpretation of sources is hard, because there are so many of them, and each source contains a lot of scientific content.

What have I learned through this whole process? – science and personal skills

• After finishing this project, I believed that I have learned as much as you guys, I learned:
  The history of computers
  Classical electronic computers’ working mechanism
  Quantum computers’ working mechanism, scientifically and physically, especially the lecture from International Business Machines that
  Quantum computers’ real-world applications, and how they operate faster than electronic computers
  Quantum computers’ environmental impacts and it is future
  Ways to explore credibility amongst various sources, as this is a skill that is going to be used a lot in IB and beyond…

What impact might the results of my project have on other people/the wider world?

• This is a big science breakthrough
  It has exponentially faster calculation speeds (than electronic computers)
  It will impact the future of computing & AI/deep learning
  It can impact various industries e.g. medical, educational…
  It is hundreds and thousands of more times power efficient, meaning it is more sustainable. Thus, it could impact the environment

What I would have done to improve my work? What I’d do to develop the project in the future?

If I have more time, I will develop and improve my project in the following aspects:

Discuss how quantum computers are made

Discuss how temperature exactly affect each quantum particle within the computers

Ethical problems regarding quantum computers, e.g. materials

I would also include more research to make sure that the project is balanced between communication (to the audience) and research (on scientific aspects).

I have learned a lot in this project and I look forward to science projects and content in the future!