Félicitations à Bruno Bachimont du laboratoire Connaissance, Organisation et Systèmes Techniques - COSTECH (SU - UTC, UPR 2223), en collaboration avec Vincent Bontems et Christian de Ronde des laboratoires de recherche sur les sciences de la matière (Larsim-CEA) et la communauté LOGOS (CONICET-Argentine), qui remporte l’appel à projet Sciences humaines et sociales du Centre d’information quantique Sorbonne. Le sujet qui a retenu l’attention du jury consiste à « Repenser l’information quantique et l’intrication à la lumière de Simondon »

The ambition of the QICS institute is both to deepen the understanding of the phenomena at stake and to embrace the different technical, industrial and societal declinations of this rapidly evolving field.

In this perspective, it seems useful and necessary to consider, in addition to the obvious contributions of the physical and computer disciplines that are at the heart of this scientific dynamic, the contribution that the human and social sciences can make to the analysis of the issues involved.  

Among the different dimensions that the SHS can consider, at least three stand out in terms of relevance and urgency:

•     The first concerns the epistemology of information when the latter becomes quantum: in what way does the material support lead to a revision of the properties of calculation and information when this support mobilizes the properties of the quantum world?

The digital has been the upheaval that we know of the materiality of many inscriptions, documents, contents of all kinds, leading to reconsider the nature as well as the interpretation and the meaning of these contents.

How does quantum information contribute to this movement? What changes, mutations and evolutions can we observe, analyze and anticipate?

•     The second concerns the eminently ethical and political question of trust and authenticity: it is well known that one of the main domains affected by the promise of the quantum computer and the reality of the proposed algorithms is cybersecurity.

Similarly, how much confidence can we have in the results proposed by quantum processes?
The question is about the confidence we can have in quantum information processes and the confidence we can have in our existing processes when information becomes manipulated by quantum processes.

Quantum information is a privileged domain, a laboratory to reconsider these questions.

•     The third concerns the status of quantum information in the landscape of constituted sciences.

Is it a question of an interdisciplinary approach between physics and computer science, two disciplines that have long cultivated a principled separation between the algorithm and the hardware that implements it?
Is it a question of constituting a new discipline and of creating a new scientific community?
How can we bring the concepts closer together, how can the concepts of each discipline be made appropriate by the practitioners of the other discipline?
How to bring together the scientific and epistemic postures, the stakes, and the methods in the scientific process that would be that of quantum information?

The Quantum Information Center (QICS) is proposing a call for projects that aims to encourage and support reflections on these different themes as well as others that are part of the dynamic launched by quantum information.

Although indicating a particular interest for these themes, the call for projects is not limited to them; any proposal emanating from a problematization of SHS type wanting to question one of the aspects of quantum information is welcome.

Supported to the tune of 10 K euros for a maximum duration of one year, the objective is to allow interdisciplinary connections, to allow the necessary discussions and spaces for reflection, to suggest problematizations, research programs, reflective or prospective studies, empirical observations and analyzes.  

Eligible expenses are: travel/missions, organization of meetings, internship bonuses, small equipment.

The project leaders are invited to submit a document of 3 pages maximum by 18/12/2020 at noon specifying

•     The problem and the approach envisaged
•     The teams involved
•     The budget requested and the nature of the expenses envisaged.

Submitted projects will be evaluated by the QICS Institute Steering Committee.

Important dates :

•     Date of submission: 18/12/2020 at noon
•     Acceptance date: 10/01/2021
•     Start date: February 2021

All submissions must be sent by noon on December 18 to: qics@sorbonne-universite.fr