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Interviews jIAPS

Quantum Science in Action: Syed Bilal Hyder Shah’s Journey to Building Pakistan’s Only Single-Photon Lab

In a country where scientific resources are scarce, building a cutting-edge quantum optics lab might seem out of reach. But for Syed Bilal Hyder Shah, that challenge became his mission. Through perseverance, creativity, and a commitment to advancing quantum science, Shah transformed a neglected space into Pakistan’s only single-photon laboratory, making strides that serve as a beacon for young scientists across the country.

Shah’s journey into quantum science began at LUMS, where he first met Dr. Sabieh Anwar, head of the university’s Physlab. As a sophomore, Shah joined a pedagogical project that paired faculty and students, working on a book of transcribed lectures on Modern Physics. “The project gave us a good understanding of what it was like to work together,” Shah reflects. Their collaboration laid the foundation for what would later become Pakistan’s leading research in single-photon experimentation.

In his third year, Shah approached Dr. Sabieh to join the lab full-time. What he found was a space lacking equipment, proper lighting, and support. “The lab had been inactive for over a year,” Shah recalls. “Most of the equipment was faulty or misplaced, and I was the only researcher.” Despite these obstacles, he threw himself into the work. “It never felt like a burden; I loved what I was doing,” he says.

Setting up a lab on a tight budget required ingenuity. Shah describes a common struggle in Pakistan: “If any equipment is damaged, it can halt the entire lab. Replacing even small items can take two to three months.” This is where Shah’s resourcefulness came into play.

He and his team designed an FPGA-based coincidence counting unit to replace the costly commercial photon-counting systems needed for single-photon experiments. They also used in-house milling to create mounting and alignment tools, bypassing the need for imported equipment. “It’s the financial constraints that push us to be creative,” he says, “and it’s our passion that keeps us going.”

Building a Legacy: Training the Next Generation

Over the years, Shah has poured his energy not only into upgrading the lab but also into building a community of skilled researchers. “When I joined, I was alone in the lab. By the time I left, I’d trained over 20 students to manage it independently.” His work has ensured that quantum research can continue to grow, even as he steps into new projects. For these students, Shah’s mentorship is an invaluable part of their own journey into experimental physics.

In 2024, Shah co-authored the second edition of “Quantum Mechanics in the Single Photon Laboratory” with Dr. Sabieh. This book was born out of necessity; for many researchers in Pakistan and other resource-limited countries, practical guidance for conducting quantum experiments is hard to come by. “The first edition was instrumental in my early research, but we saw areas for improvement,” he explains. They standardized terminology, enhanced alignment instructions, and even added a new chapter on programming with FPGAs to make the book an accessible, all-in-one guide.

This guide, modeled after Mark Beck’s “Quantum Mechanics: Theory and Experiment”, is designed for researchers, students, and educators who want to bring quantum experiments into their own labs, regardless of resource constraints. “It’s a toolkit that gives others a starting point, showing that quantum experimentation doesn’t always require high-end equipment,” Shah says. His hope is that the book will empower a new generation of scientists to advance quantum research, especially in countries where resources are limited.

Why This Work Matters: The Future of Quantum in Pakistan

Quantum optics, the field that unites the study of light and quantum mechanics, is more than just theoretical exploration—it’s an essential building block for technologies like quantum computing, cryptography, and imaging. Shah is acutely aware of its significance: “Quantum mechanics may be one of the most successful theories in physics, but its applications are only beginning to unfold.”

In a time when quantum science is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, Shah’s contributions to Pakistan’s single-photon lab offer a vital opportunity for his country to engage with these advances. By establishing the lab and creating educational resources, he’s helping ensure that Pakistan is part of the global quantum science conversation.

Syed Bilal Hyder Shah’s work is a testament to what can be achieved with limited resources and an unyielding commitment to scientific advancement. Through his leadership, innovation, and mentorship, Pakistan’s only single-photon lab has become a place where the next generation of scientists can thrive.

If you are a student working in quantum science and technology contact us to share your story jiaps@iaps.info

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Interviews jIAPS

Exploring the Path of 3Blue1Brown: A Conversation with Grant Sanderson

Few YouTubers have made math as captivating as Grant Sanderson, better known as 3Blue1Brown. Through his unique visualizations and passion for teaching, Sanderson has not only amassed a dedicated following but has also created a lasting impact on math education. In this interview, he shares how his channel came to be, the journey of creating the popular animation tool Manim, and the rewarding experiences that continue to fuel his passion.

How did you transition from studying math to becoming one of the most popular YouTubers in math education?

Grant Sanderson: I’ve always enjoyed teaching, explaining concepts, and exploring programming, especially during my undergrad. Toward the end of college, I felt an urge to create a personal programming project. At a hackathon, I put together some very scrappy Python code for visualizing functions as transformations. And with that original fondness for teaching, I decided to make a short animated lesson out of it.

That initial video wasn’t particularly polished, but I enjoyed making it, and I kept improving the code and producing more videos. Around that time, I connected with Khan Academy about creating lessons for them, which turned into a one-year fellowship. Working with them made me realize how impactful online teaching could be, which made me more committed to creating lessons that could reach a broad audience.

Manim has grown into a popular tool used by other educators. What were your original goals, and how do you feel about its development?

Grant Sanderson: Honestly, I’m as shocked as anyone that it’s become popular! Initially, Manim was just some rough code I wrote for my own animations. I made it open source mainly because so many people asked how I animated my videos, so I figured sharing the code would be an easy answer.

As time went on, I worked hard to improve it, keeping in mind that others might find it useful too. The true credit for making Manim accessible to others, though, goes to the Manim Community. They forked the project, creating a version that’s much better documented and more beginner-friendly. It’s been amazing to see Manim evolve into something that anyone can use.

Was there a particular video that made you realize you were on to something special with 3Blue1Brown?

Grant Sanderson: There wasn’t a single moment when I thought, “This is it.” I never expected the channel to gain widespread popularity. My initial idea was to showcase math topics that weren’t taught in school but might intrigue math enthusiasts. 

One turning point, though, was probably the linear algebra series. I applied a visuals-first approach to real course material, something I hadn’t done before. It may sound strange in hindsight, but up until that series, I hadn’t considered the channel as an educational resource. The positive response to that series helped me see the potential for deeper, course-related content on the channel.

With a wide range of topics, from neural networks to the best Wordle starting word, how do you choose what to cover?

Grant Sanderson: I start with whatever sparks my own interest and curiosity. If I’m not genuinely fascinated by a topic, I doubt I could convey it in a way that excites others. So, I focus on topics that get me nerding out, hoping that enthusiasm comes through for viewers.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments you’ve had as a math communicator?

Grant Sanderson: Meeting students in person who express sincere gratitude is incredibly rewarding. Sometimes they thank me for specific series, especially linear algebra, or for inspiring them to fall in love with math. 

What’s interesting is that people often mention videos I hadn’t thought of as major, which reminds me that what matters most isn’t always what gets the highest views. Hearing how these videos have impacted people’s lives—whether helping with a course or sparking an interest in math—is the most gratifying part of this journey.

Sanderson’s journey from coding a few scrappy animations to creating a world-renowned math channel is an inspiring testament to the power of passion and curiosity. For Sanderson, it’s all about igniting a spark of interest, both in himself and in his audience, and his work with 3Blue1Brown continues to make math an adventure of discovery for millions around the world.

Subscribe to 3Blue1Brown’s channel here. Recommend to us other science communicators you’d be interested in learning about at jiaps@iaps.info

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Advocacy jIAPS News

Unveiling the Hidden Barriers: Access to Scientific Opportunity and the Nobel Laureates

The journey to becoming a Nobel laureate is often seen as the pinnacle of success in the sciences. However, behind these prestigious achievements lies a story of unequal access to opportunity, which affects who gets to reach such heights. The article “Access to Opportunity in the Sciences: Evidence from the Nobel Laureates” by Paul Novosad, Sam Asher, Catriona Farquharson, and Eni Iljazi sheds light on how socioeconomic background influences who becomes a Nobel laureate, revealing a landscape of challenges and slow progress towards equal access.

The study dives into the childhood socioeconomic status (SES) of Nobel laureates, focusing on the period from 1901 to 2023. It finds that most laureates come from elite backgrounds, with an average father’s income at the 87th percentile and education at the 90th percentile. The data paints a picture where around 50-60% of laureates hail from the top 5% of households, emphasizing how socioeconomic status can act as a gatekeeper to opportunities in science.

The analysis shows that the range of socioeconomic backgrounds among Nobel laureates has expanded over the last century. In 1900, laureates were largely from families at the 92nd income percentile, whereas today’s laureates come from families closer to the 85th percentile. While this shift suggests progress, the study notes that the pace is slow—it could take centuries before the backgrounds of Nobel winners align with the general population.

Gender Disparities: A Steeper Climb for Women 

The study highlights that female Nobel laureates tend to come from even more elite families than their male counterparts. On average, female winners come from families at the 91st income percentile, compared to the 87th for men. This suggests that, despite progress, women still face additional barriers to success in science that require higher levels of family support to overcome.

Geographic Inequalities: The Role of Place  

One of the study’s most striking findings is the role of geography in shaping opportunities. U.S.-born laureates, for example, come from slightly less elite backgrounds compared to those born in Europe, suggesting a more equal access to opportunity within the United States. The study also explores how cities with greater intergenerational mobility—places where children have better chances of surpassing their parents’ socioeconomic status—tend to produce more Nobel laureates.

The study correlates regions with high upward mobility (where children from low-income families have better opportunities to succeed) with a higher production of Nobel laureates. Surprisingly, regions where high-income status is less stable (meaning children from wealthy families might not maintain their status) also produce more Nobel laureates. This suggests that regions with more dynamic economic mobility might foster a better environment for scientific talent to thrive, regardless of background.

Perhaps the most concerning finding is the global disparity in scientific opportunity. When comparing the SES of Nobel laureates from different countries, the study finds that the average global income rank of a laureate’s family remains around the 95th percentile. This figure has barely changed over the past 120 years, indicating that while some regions have improved access, global inequality in scientific opportunity persists.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

The study by Novosad and his colleagues offers a sobering reminder of the many untapped talents around the world who could contribute to scientific progress. As the researchers suggest, expanding access to scientific opportunities could not only lead to a fairer system but also accelerate human progress by harnessing a broader range of talent. Addressing these inequalities is essential, not just for the sake of fairness, but for the continued advancement of science.

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Interviews jIAPS News

BobbyBroccoli: The YouTuber Exploring Scientific Controversies

BobbyBroccoli didn’t start his YouTube journey intending to become the go-to source for scientific controversies. In fact, his early videos focused on something entirely different: video game design. Like many YouTubers, his channel evolved over time as his interests changed, eventually leading him to where he is today—a content creator with a passion for unpacking the most bizarre and shocking stories in the world of science.

The Early Days: From Comics to Video Games

BobbyBroccoli’s channel began in his early teenage years, serving as a platform to promote his comic strip. It wasn’t until high school that he shifted his focus to video game design content, inspired by the types of videos he consumed at the time. “I gave that a shot for a few years,” he recalls, but the audience engagement didn’t quite match the effort he was putting in.

Everything changed when BobbyBroccoli started his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics. Gradually, he began integrating scientific topics into his content. His early science-related videos, covering topics like Bill Nye the Science Guy and the technology behind the Nintendo 3DS screen, were just the beginning of a more focused approach. It wasn’t until his time in graduate school, however, that BobbyBroccoli found his true niche: scientific controversies.

Discovering the Power of Controversy

The shift toward covering controversies was sparked by a lecture where he heard the story of Jan Hendrik Schön, a physicist whose work had been widely celebrated before he was exposed as a fraud. “I looked around and realized no one had done a video on him,” BobbyBroccoli says. That realization led him to create his first series on a scientific controversy—an academic true-crime story that would lay the foundation for his future success. The series was well-received (the first video currently has 3 million views), and BobbyBroccoli’s channel gained momentum, eventually attracting a large following.

But the real breakthrough came when BobbyBroccoli tackled the story of the Bogdanoff twins and their questionable PhD theses. Part 2 was released just months before the twins passed away, BobbyBroccoli’s video went viral, propelling his channel past 100,000 subscribers in the summer of 2022. “In a morbid way, I owe my current success to them,” he reflects.

Blending Science and Storytelling

BobbyBroccoli’s videos, whether it’s Schön’s fraudulent research or the rise and fall of the Canadian tech giant Nortel, focus on the human element of science.

“A three-hour science documentary has to reel people in,” he explains. “In between those salacious ‘true crime’ elements, you can teach an audience about the mundane parts of physics.” For example, while covering Victor Ninov, who faked a discovery related to the periodic table, BobbyBroccoli had to frame the story within the larger context of Cold War-era lab rivalries to make it compelling.

The Role of Innovation in YouTube Content Creation

BobbyBroccoli credits much of his style to Jon Bois, a sports writer and filmmaker who inspired him to use tools like Google Earth to create engaging animations. For BobbyBroccoli, the challenge was turning a subject with limited visual material—such as Jan Hendrik Schön’s research—into something dynamic. “If Jon Bois can make me interested in sports, surely I could do the same for academic true crime,” he jokes.

BobbyBroccoli has since developed his own style, incorporating the 3D modeling software Blender and experimenting with new animation techniques for each project. He has also made tutorials to help others dive into the technical side of animation, though his advice to aspiring creators is simple: “Get a cheap microphone, a free video editor, and write something. Your first project won’t be amazing, but you need to do it at least once to figure out what you’re doing.”

Tackling Big Topics and Keeping It Engaging

For BobbyBroccoli, selecting topics is one of the most time-consuming parts of the creative process. Every topic represents months of research and production, so it has to be something that not only interests him but also captivates his audience. Some stories, like that of Jan Hendrik Schön, are obvious winners. Others, like Victor Ninov’s, require more creative framing to hook viewers. But BobbyBroccoli believes the investment is worth it because, at the end of the day, people love stories about interesting characters in science.

The Dark Side of Science

One of the things that continually surprises BobbyBroccoli is how far people will go to cover up scientific misconduct. His series on Hwang Woo Suk, a South Korean scientist who fabricated stem cell research data, highlighted just how deeply political and ethical issues can become intertwined in the world of science. “The breach of bioethics was appalling,” BobbyBroccoli recalls, particularly noting how authority figures defended Hwang even after the truth came to light.

BobbyBroccoli also reflects on how quickly misinformation can spread and how science can capture public imagination—whether for good or bad. His recent documentary on Cold Fusion revealed the massive scale of media attention it received, with headlines and TV segments covering it almost daily. “I expect we will never see anything quite like it again,” he says, noting how rapidly the internet now debunks shaky science.

Looking Forward

As his channel continues to grow, BobbyBroccoli remains committed to tackling new scientific controversies and finding creative ways to make them accessible to his audience. “It’s ultimately about people doing science,” he says, emphasizing that the human stories are what keep viewers coming back. With each new project, BobbyBroccoli continues to explore the boundary between science and storytelling, and there’s no doubt his audience will be along for the ride.

Subscribe to BobbyBroccoli’s channel here. Recommend to us other science communicators you’d be interested in learning about at jiaps@iaps.info