The world that quantum physicists study with a trained eye is the very same world that we non-scientists navigate every day. The only difference is that it’s been magnified to scales incomprehensibly small and large.

Still, quantum physics remains largely a murky subject—even for scientifically astute readers. News@Northeastern spoke to Gregory Fiete, a physics professor at Northeastern, about some of the broad applications of quantum research, from developing renewable energy sources and building more powerful computers, to advancing humanity’s quest to discover life beyond the solar system. Fiete’s comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Read more on News@Northeastern.