LUNCH SESSION
Navigating the quantum beat
Quantum science and technology lie at the forefront of modern research and continue to capture the public imagination. For journalists, however, the field presents distinctive challenges: complex concepts, major commercial interests, and a persistent risk of hype.
This lunch session brings together three veteran science communicators and a corporate research leader: Davide Castelvecchi, a reporter at Nature with two decades of experience covering physics and mathematics; Jodie Watson, a project manager with the South African Quantum Technology Initiative who has led several public-engagement efforts as part of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology; Schalk Mouton, senior communications officer at Wits University and founding editor of Curios.ty; and Stephanie Muller from IBM Africa, who leads a broad array of projects that harness both quantum and classical computers.
Together, the speakers will explore what makes quantum communication unique and offer guidance to help journalists build confidence and fluency in reporting on quantum developments.
This is an official International Year of Quantum 2025 event. To promote global collaboration and address critical challenges in science and technology, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) on 7 June 2024, under the leadership of UNESCO. This initiative aims to foster international partnerships, with a special focus on building capacity in the Global South, advancing gender equality in STEM fields, and tackling the growing quantum divide. The IYQ highlights the transformative potential of quantum science and its role in shaping a more inclusive and connected world. For more information, visit quantum2025.org
Davide CastelvecchiSpeaker | Nature | United Kingdom
Davide Castelvecchi is a senior reporter at Nature and has covered physics, astronomy and mathematics for two decades. Since joining Nature in 2012, he has had the good fortune of having a front-row seat for the discovery of gravitational waves. He has previously been a staff reporter at Science News, a features editor at Scientific American and a freelance writer and editor for several other publications.
Jodie WatsonSpeaker | South African Quantum Technology Initiative | South Africa
Jodie Watson is a project manager with the South African Quantum Technology Initiative (SA QuTI), supporting national efforts to build a quantum ecosystem aligned with South Africa’s strategic vision. During the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, she contributed to several public engagement projects, including a social media series on foundational concepts, a youth focused newspaper insert, and seminars connecting researchers, students, and industry. Her work centres on making quantum science accessible and relevant across sectors and communities.
Schalk MoutonSpeaker | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa
Schalk Mouton is a communications professional with over 24 years’ experience as a journalist and communications professional. Mouton is currently the senior communications officer of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). His team is responsible for advancing the institution’s reputation by communicating its research in a clear, interesting, understandable way to various audiences through digital, multimedia and print platforms. Mouton is also the founding editor of Wits University’s research magazine, Curios.ty. He previously worked as a journalist at several of South Africa’s largest daily newspapers, among others as a news editor at the national daily newspapers, Beeld and The Times.
Stephanie Julia MullerSpeaker | IBM Research Africa | South Africa
Muller joined IBM Research Africa in 2018 after completing her PhD in Human Genetics at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. With a technical background spanning bioinformatics, machine learning, and quantum computing, she leads a diverse team of researchers developing computational workflows that leverage the strengths of both classical and quantum computers. She also organises the Deep Learning Indaba X South Africa and the Deep Learning Indaba conferences to promote the inclusion of the local research community in building the technologies of the future. Stephanie holds adjunct positions at the University of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University.
Matteo RiniModerator and session producer | APS Physics Magazine | United States
Matteo Rini is the editor of Physics Magazine (American Physical Society) and a professor of Science Writing and Communication at New York University. A former physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he has dedicated his career to communicating physics to diverse audiences—from policymakers to science enthusiasts—through a wide range of storytelling formats.