The Quantum Sublime: Emerging Myth of the Quantum Computer in Films

Abstract The quantum computer is emerging as a potentially transformative technology, yet its societal and cultural representations remain underexplored. This article investigates the figuration of the quantum computer in films, using a semiotic approach to analyze its visual and narrative portrayals. The findings reveal that cinematic representations of the technology exhibit a mythical structure. The study argues that the emergence of such a mythic structure is favored by the quantum nature of the technology and the phenomena underlying its functioning. These counterintuitive and conceptually elusive phenomena remain difficult to grasp and represent, as they have no equivalent in our experience of reality. Thus, they generate forms of fascination, bewilderment, and perplexity that can be described as “sublime” arising from a reality that feels inaccessible and incomplete. This resistance to conceptualization and representation creates a gap that tends to be filled by mythic narratives and pseudoscientific discourse surrounding quantum physics. Through cinema, these same dynamics reappear around the quantum computer itself. In films, the machine is depicted through a distinctive and recurring form and aesthetic, notably through the dilution refrigerator, which is transformed into a work of art. The capabilities attributed to the quantum computer in science-fiction stories are portrayed as immense, extraordinary, and bordering on the divine. This aesthetic and narrative construction reflects one of the essential functions of myth, to reorder the world into familiar narratives and frameworks, thereby alleviating the strangeness surrounding the quantum computer, a sophisticated and elusive system operating according to the principles of quantum mechanics. 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Funding No funding was received for conducting this study. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Ethics declarations Ethical Approval The article complies with high research integrity standards; the article is original and has not been submitted elsewhere; ideas are presented fairly and honestly. Conflict of Interest The author declares no conflict of interest. Additional information Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. About this article Cite this article De Vellis, A. The Quantum Sublime: Emerging Myth of the Quantum Computer in Films. Digit. Soc. 5, 44 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44206-026-00286-y Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44206-026-00286-y