• The “BIG Bell Test” invites everyone in the world to participate in a unique worldwide quantum physics experiment on November 30th.
• The experiments will test Albert Einstein’s idea of “local realism,” a phenomenon at the very core of the mysteries of the quantum world.
• Coordinated by ICFO, the project needs the contribution of at least 30,000 people who will generate sequences of bits as randomly as possible.

Would you like to be part of a worldwide scientific experiment that will test the laws of quantum physics? November 30th is your chance! Coordinated by ICFO- The Institute of Photonic Sciences, the BIG Bell Test: worldwide quantum experiments powered by human randomness aims to conduct a series of quantum experiments in labs around the world that, for the first time, will be controlled by human decisions made by volunteers (aka Bellsters), thus testing the laws of quantum physics.

The experiments will run simultaneously on November 30th in twelve different labs around the world. During that day, participants who want to contribute to the initiative will be able to do so through a video game created specifically for the project in which they will have to introduce sequences of 0s and 1s, trying to be as random as possible.

The sequences of 0s and 1s will control the experiments by determining the measurement conditions in each lab. Anyone can participate regardless of their age. To contribute on the 30th, participants need a device with internet connection. They need only connect to the video game and try to pass all the levels, thus generating the maximum possible quantity of bits.

The initiative originated from ICFO’s contributions to the loophole-free Bell tests of 2015, experiments which required an extraordinary attention to the nature of randomness and its role in physics experiments. ICFO contributed to these experiments by using a physical random number generator that produced very fast, very pure random numbers. Those experiments inspired the idea of a large-scale, human-driven experiment using currently available internet technologies.

The twelve labs that will be running experiments on November 30th are:

• ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences (Barcelona),
• USA National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (Boulder),
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Munich),
• Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) OEAW (Viena),
• Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée (LPMC ) – Université Nice/CNRS (Nice),
• Quantum Device Lab (QUDEV)- ETH Zurich (Zurich).
• Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) – Griffith University (Brisbane),
• Arc Center of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) – University of Queensland (Brisbane),
• The Centro de Optica y Fotónica (CEFOP) – Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica de la Universidad de Concepción (Concepción), in collaboration with the Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica – la Linköping Universitet (Linköping), the Universidad de Sevilla (Sevilla) and the Dipartimento di Fisica-Sapienza Università di Roma (Roma),
• Dipartimento di Fisica-Sapienza Università di Roma (Roma) in collaboration with the International Institute of Physics del Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Nadal),
• Center for excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics (CAS) / USTC – University of Science and Technology of China (Shanghai),
• División Óptica Cuántica (CITEDEF) and the Departamento de Física, FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires),

The experiments will test, among other things, the properties of entangled particles.

Step by Step instructions for contributing to the BIG Bell Test:

1. On Nov 30th, you can contribute all day long, from 0: 00h (Australia time) to 23: 59hs (Boulder time)

2. You can contribute anywhere– at home, on the bus, on the train, in the park, … anywhere where there is an internet connection.

3. To contribute, enter www.thebigbelltest.org

4. Click on the tab Contribute

5. Click on the BIG Bell Quest www.thebigbelltest.org/quest

6. Register / Sign up (This is super important!!!). You can sign up right now and start practicing. If you register, on Nov 30th you will be notified as to which laboratory used your sequences of bits for their experiment.

7. Fill in the “+ Profile” in your user profile zone (upper right corner).

8. Try to pass all 6 levels of the BIG Bell Quest. Contribute for at least 10 minutes. Difficulty increases with level. Note: the more you contribute, the more points you will generate and the higher you will be in the ranking!

9. Optional: Create groups and events with your friends. To create groups, go into your user profile in the Account section (upper right corner). You may create up to 3 groups. Pass the name of the group you created to your friends (e.g. John’s group) and tell them to put that name in their profile accounts so that they can participate in your group and compete against you and the rest of your friends.

Follow us @TheBellsters!