153 | John Preskill on Quantum Computers and What They're Good For

153 | John Preskill on Quantum Computers and What They're Good For

Depending on who you listen to, quantum computers are either the biggest technological change coming down the road or just another overhyped bubble. Today we're talking with a good person to listen to: John Preskill, one of the leaders in modern quantum information science. We talk about what a quantum computer is and promising technologies for actually building them. John emphasizes that quantum computers are tailor-made for simulating the behavior of quantum systems like molecules and materials; whether they will lead to breakthroughs in cryptography or optimization problems is less clear. Then we relate the idea of quantum information back to gravity and the emergence of spacetime. (If you want to build and run your own quantum algorithm, try the IBM Quantum Experience.)

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John Preskill received his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University. He is currently the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech and the Davis Leadership Chair at the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, as well as an Amazon Scholar at Amazon Web Services. Before moving into quantum information, he was a leading researcher in quantum field theory and black holes. He is the winner of multiple bets with Stephen Hawking.


Episoder(423)

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351 | Peter Singer on Maximizing Good for All Sentient Creatures

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350 | J. Eric Oliver on the Self and How to Know It

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AMA | April 2026

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349 | Daniel Harlow on What Quantum Gravity Teaches Us About Quantum Mechanics

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348 | Jessica Riskin on Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Life as Creative Agency

348 | Jessica Riskin on Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Life as Creative Agency

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23 Mar 1h 15min

347 | Andrew Guthrie Ferguson on How Your Data Will Be Used Against You

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In the 18th century, philosopher Jeremy Bentham suggested the Panopticon as a model of a prison where inmates could be constantly observed by just a single prison guard. Although his original idea was...

16 Mar 1h 8min

346 | Erica Cartmill on How Human and Animal Minds Think and Play

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9 Mar 1h 28min

AMA | March 2026

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2 Mar 3h 53min

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