Quantum Steampunk Science-Fiction Workshop (CMSC298Q, Spring 2026)

Cross-listed with: CHEM298Q, CMSC298Q, ENME299Q, PHYS299Q.
Credit only granted for: ARHU270, ARHU298Q, CHEM298Q, CMSC298Q, ENME299Q or PHYS299Q. GenEd credit: DSSP
Steampunk is a science-fiction genre in which futuristic technologies populate Victorian-era settings. Recently, steampunk has come to life in the scientific field of quantum thermodynamics. Thermodynamics, the study of energy, grew out of the Industrial Revolution. Two centuries later, quantum physics is transforming computing and cryptography. Quantum science is now revolutionizing 19th-century thermodynamics in quantum thermodynamics, which features quantum engines, automata, and more. Quantum thermodynamics inspired the growing subgenre of quantum steampunk. In this course, you will read science fiction, write quantum steampunk short stories, receive feedback, and critique classmates' writing. In parallel, you will learn about quantum physics, technologies, and thermodynamics.