Merritt Moore facts for kids

Merritt Moore (born February 24, 1988) is an amazing American ballerina and quantum physicist. She studied at two very famous universities: University of Oxford and Harvard University. Merritt loves to mix her interests in physics and ballet. She does this through her studies and by working hard in both art and science.

Currently, Merritt is working at Harvard University's ArtLab. Here, she combines science and dance by using robots! She has a Bachelor's Degree in Physics from Harvard and a PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics from Oxford. Merritt has danced professionally for many ballet companies around the world, like the English National Ballet and Norwegian National Ballet. She has performed in famous ballets such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

In 2017, Merritt was a contestant on the BBC show 'Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?'. She has also been featured in "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2", which tells stories of inspiring women. She was also named in "Forbes 30 Under 30" and Glamour Magazine's 'Top Ten College Women'. Merritt gave a TEDx talk in 2013 and performed a ballet dance with Adam Kirkham. She also started a group called SASters, which helps encourage girls to follow their dreams in both arts and sciences.

Merritt's Early Life

Merritt Moore was born in Los Angeles, California on February 24, 1988. Her parents are Alice Chu-Hoon Moore and Schuyler Moore. Her mother is Korean and her father is American. Merritt also has a sister.

When she was younger, Merritt first enjoyed Gymnastics. Later, she discovered a love for mathematics and dance. She took her very first dance class when she was 13, after her mom encouraged her. During her junior year of high school, Merritt lived and studied abroad in Viterbo, Italy.

Merritt's Education Journey

Logo for Harvard University.

Merritt Moore went to Harvard University and chose to study physics. She started at Harvard in 2006. She knew she wanted to major in physics because she found it very interesting in high school.

While at Harvard, she won a special scholarship called the Michael von Clemm Fellowship. This allowed her to study at Oxford for a bit. In 2011, she graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in physics. She earned "magna cum laude," which means she graduated with great honors!

After Harvard, Merritt went to the University of Oxford from 2012 to 2017. There, she earned her PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics. Even while studying at these top universities, she continued to dance ballet professionally. During her time at Harvard, she even took a year off to dance with the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland.

Dancing with Robots

Merritt Moore is currently working on a special project at Harvard University's ArtLab. This lab is open to all Harvard students. She is exploring how to combine dance with robots!

In this project, Merritt is arranging a dance between a human and a robot. This study will involve visual arts like film and ballet. They use a special robot arm called a UR10e. Merritt is working with Alice Williamson, an artist and performer from London, England. Together, they are exploring how AI (robots) can inspire and expand human creativity through dance.

Merritt's Unique Career

Merritt Moore's career is special because it mixes two very different fields: science and art. Her work in quantum physics has focused on quantum computing. Her ballet career has allowed her to perform in many ballets around the world. Her current project at Harvard's ArtLab brings ballet and science together. She wants to show how science and art connect and even teach science through her performances.

Her Love for Physics

Physics has always been a big part of Merritt Moore's life. She took her first physics class in high school. Merritt once said, "I was drawn to physics because I found freedom in the math and was inspired by the mysteries of the universe."

She studied physics at both Harvard and Oxford. She earned her PhD from Oxford and her bachelor's degree with honors from Harvard.

Atomic and Laser Physics

Merritt earned her PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics from the University of Oxford. This field studies how tiny particles of matter and light behave in different situations.

Quantum Computing Research

Merritt Moore's research in physics has focused on quantum computing. She has helped write important papers on this topic.

One of her research projects was about using special systems called qubits to create a more efficient quantum computing system. Another paper explored how quantum computing could work with regular computers. They tested if light could safely carry information between these systems.

Her Passion for Ballet

Merritt started dancing when she was thirteen. When she was fifteen, she traveled to Viterbo, Italy. There, she met Irina Rosca, a dancer from the National Ballet of Romania, and trained with her.

When Merritt started at Harvard, she joined a student dance group. She was taught by famous dancers Damian Woetzel and Heather Watts. In 2008, during her second year at Harvard, Merritt was accepted into the Zurich Ballet company. After dancing there, she joined the Boston Ballet. Merritt has starred in ballets like La Bayadère and The Nutcracker with the Boston Ballet.

After graduating from Harvard, Merritt performed Swan Lake and The Nutcracker with the English National Ballet. She also performed with robots with the London Contemporary Ballet Theater. Merritt also practiced George Balanchine’s Symphony in C with the Norwegian National Ballet company.

Famous Ballets She Performed

• La Bayadère
• The Nutcracker
• Swan Lake
• Chokovitos

Ballet Companies She Danced With

Merritt Moore has performed with many well-known ballet companies, including:

• Boston Ballet - a professional ballet company in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Zurich Ballet - a ballet company in Switzerland.
• English National Ballet - a ballet company in London, England.
• Norwegian National Ballet - the first professional ballet company in Norway.
• London Contemporary Ballet Theatre - a contemporary dance school in London, England.

SASters: Science-Art-Sisters

Merritt Moore started a group called SASters, which stands for Science-Art-Sisters. The main goal of SASters is to help younger girls get interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

SASters also focuses on teaching girls how to include both science and art in their lives. The group aims to bring together people who want to work in science and art careers. You can find SASters on Instagram @sasters_squad and on their website.

Merritt's Public Appearances

Merritt Moore often shares her journey as a science educator. She spoke at TEDxOxbridge and was on the TV show Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?. She has even performed ballet in unusual places, like the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Merritt has spoken at the Forbes Women's Summit, a 'Women in STEM' panel, and for the Princeton Physics Department. She also helped create a virtual reality experience at the Barbican Theater in London.

Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Merritt Moore was a contestant on the BBC show Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes. She had dreamed of becoming an astronaut since she was little. She used to identify constellations with her father at night.

A friend told her the show was looking for applicants, so Merritt applied right away. She was accepted as one of twelve contestants! The show tested applicants physically and mentally to see who would be a good astronaut candidate.

TEDxOxbridge Talk

Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

Merritt Moore was invited to speak at TEDxOxbridge in 2013. She talked about how she felt when she started dancing and how her view on dance changed after working with quantum optics in the lab. After her talk, she performed a ballet duet with her partner Adam Kirkham. TEDx events are organized locally and are similar to the famous TED talks.

Victoria and Albert Museum Performance

Moore performed a dance with robots at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

Barbican Theater Project

Merritt worked with Darren Johnston to create a Virtual Reality exhibit about meditation. This exhibit is now shown at the Barbican Theater in London, England. It uses the idea of zero point energy, which suggests that energy is everywhere, even in unexpected places.

Forbes Women's Summit

Merritt was invited to speak at the Forbes Women's Summit in New York.

'Women in STEM' Panel

In March 2019, Merritt spoke at the US Embassy in London for a 'Women in STEM' panel. The panel discussed why it's important to have more women working in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

Imagine Film Festival

Moore was invited to the Imagine Film Festival in New York in 2017. She worked with Inés Vogelfang to create a film they called 'Duality'.

Princeton Physics Department Talk

Moore was invited to speak at the Princeton Physics Department in 2019. She shared her journey in both ballet and physics and explained how the two connect for her.

Merritt's Achievements and Recognition

Merritt Moore has been featured in many books and magazines. These include "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2", 'Top Ten College Women', and Forbes 30 Under 30.

Featured in Rebel Girls

Merritt Moore has her own story in "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2". This book, published by Rebel Girls, tells the stories of 100 amazing women. It's the second book in the series, written by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli.

Top Ten College Women

Glamour Magazine chose Merritt Moore as one of their 'Top Ten College Women'. Merritt was 22 years old when she received this honor.

Forbes 30 Under 30

Merritt Moore was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018 when she was 29 years old. This list recognizes people under thirty who are considered remarkable in their fields.