By Pioneer Science | Published on June 23, 2025 | Last updated on May 14, 2026
Pioneer Science supports a competition in Brazil that invites authors from around the world to explore the question: is life quantum?
A new edition of the international scientific essay competition promoted by the Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI) is open, this time in partnership with the Paradox Science Institute, and supported by Pioneer Science in Brazil. With prizes totaling US$ 53,000 (about R$ 300,000), the competition invites participants from around the world to reflect on a fascinating question: is life quantum?
Targeted at everyone interested in the topic – from scientists and students to curious individuals and independent thinkers – the competition encourages the production of original texts on the possible connections between quantum physics and biology. Submissions are open from June 23 to October 29, and essays must be written in English, with up to 25,000 characters or nine pages.
FROM QUANTUM MECHANICS TO LIVING CELLS
The theme of the 2025 competition honors the 100th anniversary of Schrödinger’s equation, a pillar of quantum mechanics, proclaimed by UNESCO as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The proposal is to revisit, in light of current knowledge, a question that has echoed since 1944, when Erwin Schrödinger published What is Life? – a pioneering work in the conversation between physics and biology.
Today, the so-called quantum biology is an emerging field that investigates whether certain phenomena in living organisms (such as photosynthesis, olfactory perception, or migratory bird navigation) could depend on quantum effects, such as superposition, entanglement, or tunneling.
Submitted essays must propose well-argued reflections on topics such as:
In addition to argumentative quality and clarity, creative and accessible approaches to the general public will be valued. The texts will be evaluated anonymously by a jury and may also receive votes and comments from the public on the FQxI website.
The highest-rated works will receive prizes totaling US$ 53,000 (about R$ 300,000 in Brazilian reais), with US$ 10,000 (about R$ 56,000) for the first place, US$ 5,000 (or about R$ 28,000) for second place, and the remainder distributed up to fourth place.
PIONEER SCIENCE AT THE FRONTIER OF KNOWLEDGE
For Pioneer Science, supporting this initiative is a way to promote science that dares to explore still poorly understood territories.
“Quantum biology challenges established ideas about the fundamental mechanisms of life. Supporting this type of investigation is part of our commitment to transformative science that takes risks, questions itself, and seeks to expand the limits of knowledge. We invite thinkers from all fields to venture into this intriguing area,” says neuroscientist Jorge Moll Neto, the initiator of the initiative.
The competition has previously featured participants who are Nobel Prize winners and recognized authors, such as Carlo Rovelli (author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics), Sabine Hossenfelder (author of Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Answer to Life’s Biggest Questions), and others. The winners of this edition will be announced by December 15.
“We are very pleased with the partnership with IDOR Pioneer Science, a great supporter of research in quantum biology. The competition is a unique opportunity to stimulate innovative ideas on fundamental questions,” highlights Anthony Aguirre, one of the founders of FQxI.
JOIN US!
If you are curious about science, have ideas to explore, and want to write, this is your chance. The challenge is set: is life quantum?
