PhD candidate Sarah Wilson is examining the relationship between quantum mechanics and the law.
In the realm of academia, Sarah Wilson is not your typical PhD student. With a penchant for challenging norms and exploring the uncharted, she is investigating the enigmatic world of quantum mechanics, and its relationship with governance.
As we move into a quantum age, technological innovation is redefining the limits of human knowledge and capability. How can we responsibly control and govern the potential impacts of these emerging quantum systems?
Through an exploration of legal responses to quantum materials, my research is centred in the emerging interdisciplinary confluence of quantum mechanics, quantum technology, and the law.
– Sarah Wilson, ISF
Quantum leap – bridging the physical and social worlds
At the core of her investigation lies the intricate relationship between quantum mechanics and legal frameworks. Sarah is unraveling the convergence of physical natural laws and social political systems. Her research aims to decipher their common ground, identify points of friction, and predict how they might co-evolve in our rapidly advancing quantum age.
“Through an exploration of legal responses to quantum materials, my research is centred in the emerging interdisciplinary confluence of quantum mechanics, quantum technology, and the law”, Sarah explains.
From chemical governance to quantum realms
Before immersing herself in the quantum frontier, Sarah’s journey began in exploring the normative and structural evolution of the ‘law’ in contemporary society. Hailing from Singapore, she moved to Brisbane to complete high school and later pursued her Honours in legal responses to transnational environmental crime at UNSW (Australian Defence Force Academy) in Canberra. Her career in synthetic chemical governance back in Brisbane then laid the groundwork for what would become a logical progression through scientific and technical innovation into her PhD research.
Sarah explains, "The potential futures of innovation led me to shape my research towards the governance of quantum materials, and quantum mechanics." Her doctoral research trajectory mirrored the evolution of advanced materials innovation, and progressed from synthetic chemical compounds, to nanomaterials, to ultimately culminate in the quantum realm.
The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) has played a pivotal role in Sarah’s academic evolution. With a focus on transdisciplinary research, ISF prepares students for life beyond a PhD, emphasising research dissemination and real-world relevance.
Sarah said, "ISF has enabled the sort of thinking necessary for my research to happen. They transcend disciplinary boundaries in the pursuit of disruptive thought and meaningful impact."
Her advice to aspiring researchers considering postgraduate study? "Find the key people in your field and connect with them."
As the quantum age unfolds, Sarah is challenging conventions and unlocking the mysteries that lie at the intersection of law and quantum mechanics. Her journey is not just an academic pursuit but a testament to the power of disruptive thinking and the boundless possibilities that emerge when one dares to venture into the unknown.