Google modifies Minecraft game to include quantum blocks

New Scientist : Minecraft is an open world computer game in which players can modify their surroundings by constructing objects or rearranging the terrain, which is composed entirely of 3D cubes called blocks. Each block is made of a different type of material, such as stone, dirt, or water. Minecraft is also moddable—the game code can be added to or adjusted by the user. Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab has now released a modified version of the game, called qCraft, which introduces blocks that have been given a variety of quantum properties. Some of the blocks exist in a superposition of states and change in composition and appearance when they are observed. And blocks can now be entangled so that the appearance of one block can change the appearance of another block, no matter how far apart they are. The team at Google says that while the mod should not be considered an accurate scientific simulation, it could be useful as a teaching tool.