A kid 3D-printed a human ear — then found out how quantum computers discover new drugs

Would you like to print a new ear? How about a new heart?
In this episode of The Quantum Kid, 9-year-old Kai goes somewhere very few kids ever get to go: a real bioprinting lab at ETH Zurich. With the help of a researcher, Kai 3D-prints a mini human ear 🦻 made from living cells, and learns how scientists use printed tissue to study the body and test new medicines.
Back in the studio, Kai has a fascinating discussion about another big "wow" in science: the use of quantum computing for drug discovery. He chats with two quantum experts:
• Pedram Roushan, quantum physicist at Google Quantum AI
• Sabrina Maniscalco, Professor of Quantum Information Science and Co-Founder and CEO of Algorithmiq
They explain how quantum computers are different from regular computers, and why they could help scientists discover new drugs by understanding molecules in much more detail. To help Kai and viewers understand quantum, we use analogies like LEGO bricks with mini brains 🧱🧠: tiny building blocks that can hold lots of possibilities at once, which is exactly what chemistry and biology need.
Chapters:
0:00 Inside a real bioprinting lab
0:20 Why quantum computing matters for medicine
0:47 The problem with studying molecules
2:42 Why molecules are so hard to simulate
6:12 How 3D bioprinting actually works
9:25 The challenge of engineering living tissue
11:05 The problems classical computers can't solve
13:41 Quantum vs. classical computing, explained
15:20 How AI and quantum computing work together
18:52 What's next for drug discovery
20:35 How soon could quantum drug discovery happen?
22:22 Inside the design of a quantum algorithm
25:01 What the future of science could look like
Real labs. Real scientists. Big ideas, explained so viewers of any age can follow along.
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