At the edge of contemporary science, a new era of technology is on the verge of bringing the future into the present.

Today’s gadgets and electronics are beginning to bump against the ceiling of what is possible under classical technology, so scientists and engineers are turning to quantum physics to bring our sci-fi dreams into reality.

"Quantum physics is in the process of unlocking the next generation of killer technology,” says Alexey Fedorov, research fellow at the Russian Quantum Center. “It's going to change cybersecurity, material science, AI research, and metrology."

The International Conference on Quantum Technologies, the RQC’s biennial advocacy event, is the premier place for scientists to present their work and discuss applications of their research. And as we begin to hit the ceiling of what classical technology is capable of, it’s only by shifting the attention to the kooky quantum world that we can explore practical science in a more future-friendly way.

For one week in Moscow, the ICQT makes the people doing this research the stars of the show. Here are the five coolest things we heard at the fourth International Conference on Quantum Technologies: