The first book in the series of Finn Foton has made it to the Japanese market with support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Denmark through the Export sparring programme.
Back in 2017, quantum researchers from bigQ at DTU Physics entered into an unusual collaboration with artist and writer Jan Egesborg on turning quantum physics into a children's book. This resulted in the playful and humorous book "Finn Foton and the quantum physics" (original Danish title "Finn Foton og kvantefysikken") which has afterwards been accompanied by two more books in the series.
Following a Danish-Japanese quantum research seminar in 2019, a joint ambition between the Danish Embassy in Tokyo and the authors on making a Japanese publication of "Finn Foton and the quantum physics" was spurred. With support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Denmark through the Export sparring programme this idea has now been turned into reality. Early December The first book in the series of Finn Foton stories will be published in Japan.
"There is a strong bilateral relation between Japan and Denmark within quantum research, dating back to the close friendship between Niels Bohr and Yoshio Nishina. I am very happy that we can contribute to this relation on a more cultural level and that Finn Foton can now bring about a smile among Japanese and Danish children alike and at the same time give them a peek into the world of quantum physics", says Ulrich Busk Hoff.
The Finn Foton project is not about creating textbooks for children, nor is it science communication in the standard sense. Rather, it is a curious exploration of the synergy between science and arts where inspiration from science is transformed into humorous narratives.
"We have very deep passion for science and it is often difficult to express this and share our excitement with others. Working with Jan Egesborg on the Finn Foton projects is like an overflow valve that allows us to let it out and just be playful about our work", says Ulrich Busk Hoff.
