The Quantum Internet and Quantum Computers: How Will They Change the World?

Discover quantum computers and the quantum internet - what they are, how they work, and what they will mean for the future. This is the accessible gateway to the Delft University of Technology quantum programme, suitable for learners with no prior quantum knowledge and no mathematics beyond curiosity.

Taught by QuTech researchers at Delft - the same people building real quantum computers and quantum networks - this course provides accurate, up-to-date understanding rather than oversimplified popular science.

Part of the Quantum 101 professional certificate track.

What you’ll learn

• What makes quantum computers fundamentally different from classical computers and why that difference opens genuinely new computational possibilities
• Superposition: what it means for a quantum bit to be in multiple states at once, and how this differs from a classical bit that we simply do not know the value of
• Entanglement: what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance”, why it cannot be used to send information faster than light, and why it is still enormously useful
• The major potential applications of quantum computers: simulating molecules for drug discovery, optimising logistics, breaking current encryption
• What the quantum internet is: how it differs from the classical internet and what new capabilities it enables that are impossible classically
• Quantum key distribution: how quantum mechanics enables communication that is provably secure against any eavesdropper
• Current limitations: why today’s quantum computers are “noisy” and what fault tolerance means on the path to reliable large-scale quantum computation
• The state of the field: who is building quantum computers, where the technology stands in 2024, and what milestones remain

Course structure

The course runs for six to eight weeks at an accessible pace, explicitly designed for learners without physics or mathematics backgrounds.

The opening weeks establish what is genuinely strange about quantum mechanics through thought experiments and real experimental results. Analogies and animations carry the conceptual load throughout. Superposition and entanglement are introduced carefully, with emphasis on correcting the most common misconceptions.

The middle weeks cover quantum computing applications with honest assessments of near-term versus long-term prospects. The quantum internet section covers entanglement distribution, quantum repeaters, and the vision for a global quantum network.

The course closes with the societal and economic implications: cybersecurity, the talent gap, international competition, and the policy landscape.

Who is this for?

• Business and policy professionals who need to understand quantum computing without the mathematics
• Journalists and science communicators covering quantum technology who want accurate grounding
• Students and curious learners who want a credible introduction before deciding whether to study further
• Anyone who has heard “quantum computing” in the news and wants to understand what it actually means
• Managers whose organisations are starting to evaluate quantum readiness

Prerequisites

None. Genuinely. This course is designed for anyone with curiosity and ability to engage with ideas. No physics, no mathematics, no programming. It is one of the very few quantum computing courses where “no prerequisites” is accurate rather than aspirational - and this comes from a world-leading quantum research institution.

Hands-on practice

The course is conceptual rather than technical. Hands-on practice takes the form of:

• Interactive thought experiments exploring superposition and measurement
• Quiz questions that test understanding of quantum principles in new scenarios
• Discussion exercises applying quantum concepts to real-world situations
• Peer discussions on the societal implications of quantum technology

You will not write code or solve equations, but you will think carefully about measurement, probability, and information in ways that build genuine quantum intuition.

Why take this course?

This is the best-credentialled free entry point to quantum computing education available online. The content is accurate and current - QuTech researchers who build real quantum hardware wrote and teach it.

As a standalone course it gives you the vocabulary and conceptual grounding to follow quantum computing news intelligently and participate in policy or business discussions about quantum technology with confidence.

As the first course in the Quantum 101 professional certificate, it is the gateway to one of the most respected structured quantum computing programmes online.

It is free to audit. The certificate is available at a modest additional cost. If quantum computing matters to your career or your organisation, start here.