Grundfos for the Stars of Tomorrow

"Jacob Sherson gets the Grundfos prize because he uniquely manages to move the limits of experimental quantum mechanics while at the same time incorporating the human intuition in science research. This way, he also helps to break down the walls between researchers and communities and invites us “common people” inside.“—says Jens Bager, Chairman of the Board in Poul Due Jensen Foundation and Chairman of the Grundfos Prize committee.

At the annual Grundfos Prize Ceremony Jacob Sherson received a prize for his innovative research where he reached out to citizens to answer the complicated questions of quantum mechanics. The Grundfos Prize consists of the Be-Think-Innovate statue and support for further research within the research area of the prize winner. In 2017 the Foundation decided that the Grundfos Prize should focus on younger researchers under the theme “The Stars of Tomorrow”. Jacob Sherson, therefore, becomes the first of several promising young stars in science and technology research, which receives the Grundfos Prize.

Jacob Sherson is the key developer and research manager in the ScienceAtHome research group. Quantum Moves, a citizen science game, was the first big success, played by more than 250,000 people worldwide. The game represents the problem of moving individual atoms with laser beams. A simple computer game, Quantum Moves, makes this problem accessible for anyone without a background in Physics and puts the emphasis on human intuition. Some players can provide a better solution to a complicated question than the physicists in the lab.

These days, the power of the human mind is one of the biggest questions. Computers can outsmart people in many ways but the human mind still has power in certain areas. How do we think? How do we solve problems? What is the difference between a young and an old brain? These are the questions that the ScienceAtHome team is trying to answer with the latest project, Skill Lab: Science Detective. We are grateful for the recognition and support from the Poul Due Jensen Foundation. Our work wouldn't be possible without supporters!

Photo credit: Poul Due Jensens Fond / Lars Holm Foto