The Center captivated audiences last week at Quantum Beach 2025 with a hands-on LEGO qubit build showing how curiosity, creativity, and technology can converge to unlock a better understanding of one of the world's most advanced frontiers.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Center captivated audiences last week at Quantum Beach 2025 with a live demonstration that used curiosity, creativity, and play to transform one of the world's most advanced technologies into something tangible and accessible. By combining simple models with real-world use cases, the demonstration brought quantum computing to life in a way that resonated with experts and first-time learners alike.
In collaboration with Pere Juarez Vivez of the University of Barcelona, Andrea Virgin, Chair & CEO of The Center, and Dr. Marco Pistoia, Head of Research and Senior Vice President at IonQ, guided the audience in building "qubits" with LEGO bricks — the building blocks of quantum computing and the equivalent of bits in traditional computing — creating an interactive model of 350 qubits. Together, the demonstration illustrated how quantum computers create, store, and process information at scale.
The demonstration illustrated how, in theory, the group had built a "quantum computer" with more computational power than there are atoms in the universe. Further, Virgin and Pistoia made abstract concepts like qubits, superposition, entanglement, and exponential scaling more accessible and engaging.
"Quantum computing can feel abstract or out of reach, but creativity is what makes it tangible," said Andrea Virgin, Chair & CEO of The Center. "It invites us to use curiosity to break complexity into its basic parts, and imagination to explore what's possible. Together, we can see technology not as a barrier, but as a partner in solving our biggest challenges."
Virgin invites the audience to participate by holding up their LEGO "qubits," symbolizing quantum innovation.
Virgin emphasized The Center's mission to help people discover, grow, and share their creativity. By applying curiosity and imagination, individuals can approach emerging technologies like quantum computing not as intimidating obstacles, but as approachable opportunities for innovation.
"The intersection of creativity and quantum physics is where imagination meets computation," said Dr. Marco Pistoia, Senior Vice President of Industry Relations at IonQ. "Each of these 350 LEGO qubits represents a unit of quantum information, but collectively, they illustrate how exponential computational power can emerge from simple building blocks — the same principle that drives both human creativity and quantum computation."
The session drew a standing-room-only audience at Quantum Beach 2025 in West Palm Beach, where scientists, investors, educators, and civic leaders gathered to explore the future of quantum technology and its real-world applications. Virgin's presentation, which kicked off the day-long summit, underscored The Center's commitment to using creativity as a gateway to understanding the technologies shaping our future.
The impact of the session extended beyond the conference hall. Days later, New York Stock Exchange reporter Ashley Mastronardi highlighted the demonstration on air—going so far as to source the LEGO pieces herself to illustrate a qubit live during her segment, underscoring the accessibility and reach of the message.
By connecting visual storytelling and participatory programming with technical depth, The Center continues to establish itself as an organization where creativity and innovation converge, making complex ideas both comprehensible and inspiring.
The event was co-hosted by the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) and Quantum Coast Capital (QCC), both of which have been instrumental in positioning South Florida as a national hub for emerging technology. Together, they emphasized that Quantum Beach 2025 represents more than a conference – it marks a movement to unite academia, private enterprise, government, and the community at large in building the foundation for Florida's quantum future.
About The Center---The Center was founded in South Florida to help people discover, grow, and share their creativity through spaces, programs and partnerships designed to unlock it. Born in response to a global creativity crisis, The Center empowers people of all ages to develop their sense of wonder and curiosity, build creative confidence, learn to innovate, and shape what's next. Rooted in community and open to the world, The Center envisions a world where creativity is nurtured and celebrated everywhere, by everyone, for life. Currently in research and development, The Center is actively piloting programs, engaging partners and building a movement of support to help bring this vision to life.
Media Contact
Samantha Woulfe, The Center, 1 4044444420, [email protected], www.tcai.org
SOURCE The Center
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