Last weekend, the Theatre of Ideas at the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Canada, played host to the sold-out premiere of “A Quantum of Hope,” a physics-inspired play penned by five scientists, among them Center of Gravity student Jaime Redondo-Yuste. Under the direction of Andrea Wingelaar, the production unfolded over two consecutive evenings, honoured by the presence of Perimeter Institute director Marcela Carena, former director Rob Myers, and sponsor Albert Chen representing Two Small Fish Ventures.

The premise is at once absurd and eerily plausible: when an alien civilization announces Earth will be demolished to make way for a research station, humanity is given five years to prove its value. The evaluation criteria? Randomly chosen to be quantum science and technologies. Five experts, each with their own research agenda, are locked in a room to select a single project proposal to unite global efforts. Douglas Adams meets 12 Angry Men in a galactic-grade grant review committee, where scientific ideas, moral convictions, and unruly egos clash.

Audience members—scientists, families, and local residents—responded with laughter and contemplation, reflecting on the future of quantum science and the structure of research funding. The script is available on arXiv, and further details about the production can be found at the play's website.