Show Notes
Quantum computers could change medicine, material science and AI. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know how because the industry is buried under hype. Dr. Bob Sutor takes us on a masterclass through the conflicting headlines to the reality of quantum technology today.
By the end of the show you’ll know what’s fact and fiction, where the industry is heading and how to protect yourself from AI slop masquerading as insight.
We also learn about:
Why “quantum supremacy” and “quantum advantage” claims should be treated carefully
Why quantum computing is still in its prehistory
How engineering discipline is changing the field
What IBM and Cleveland Clinic’s protein simulation work shows about quantum chemistry
Why money, sovereignty and technology are driving the quantum industry
How governments are funding quantum computing in the United States, France, the UK, Finland and elsewhere
What China may be doing in quantum computing
Which industries are doing serious quantum research
Why there are many quantum hardware approaches and no clear winner yet
Whether helium-3 supply matters for quantum computing
Bob also explains why quantum computers will be useful for specific classes of difficult problems where classical computers struggle, especially once systems become larger, more reliable and fault tolerant.
The conversation ends with practical advice on separating the quantum noise from the Thinking On Paper signal.
Please enjoy the show.
-- Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, Space, quantum computing, science, and the systems shaping your life.
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(00:00) AI Quantum Slop (00:40) Welcome To The Show (06:04) When Quantum Computers Finally Become Useful (10:13) Why Governments Are Throwing Money at Quantum (15:53) Is China Ahead in Quantum? (18:48) Where Quantum Might Actually Matter (27:11) Can Quantum Help Fix Climate Change? (28:35) Why Battery Companies Care About Quantum (30:31) Why Quantum Doesn’t Belong in the IT Department (31:53) Who’s Doing the Real Work in Quantum? (32:40) Why Quantum Companies Need Real Customers (38:19) The Funding Problem Behind Quantum Progress (45:22) Does Quantum Computing Need Helium-3? (48:01) Will We Need a Quantum Computer Matchmaker? (50:38) How to Spot Quantum Hype Before You Share It
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You don't need a PhD to enjoy learning about quantum computing. This is the proof. Johannes Pollanen, CTO of EeroQ, thinks on paper about quantum computing, electron spin qubits, and scaling the future of quantum technology. EeroQ has its chips made in commercial semiconductor foundries, coats them in a thin layer of superfluid helium, and floats single electrons about 10 nanometres above the surface. Without a PhD, you'll learn: • Why quantum computers already exist, and why they aren't the machines we need yet • Superconducting circuits, trapped ions, neutral atoms, silicon spins, photons and electrons on helium • Why helium never freezes, and why Johannes calls it "the cleanest system" for electron qubits • Why wiring together lots of dilution refrigerators sounds hard to a low-temperature physicist • What nature's identical particles teach engineers Please enjoy the show. 📚 EeroQ: https://www.eeroq.com/ 🌐 Thinking On Paper: https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz 📷 Instagram: toptechpodcast 🎧 Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/Veyc5Vf6sSI 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts Chapters (00:00) Quantum computing at a wedding (03:57) Reverse engineering quantum computing (05:15) Quality or quantity of qubits (06:23) The modalities of quantum computing (12:36) You'll need liquid helium (19:01) Transistors and silicon (20:21) Is that thing behind you using helium-3? (26:15) How do you cool quantum systems? (31:08) How do you make more qubits? (35:15) How do you do a computation on a qubit? (40:05) Faster quantum computers (43:45) Can IBM make a useful quantum computer? (46:00) The quantum lessons of nature (48:33) Carry over question #quantumcomputing #quantumphysics #technologynews
Bruce Lee’s cultural legacy shapes modern world culture like few others. Alongside icons like Bob Marley and Muhammad Ali, his legend continues to influence action cinema, hip-hop, and martial arts philosophy. In Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, celebrated cultural biographer Jeff Chang joins Thinking On Paper to explore kung fu, mindset, Asian American empowerment, and the pop-culture history behind the man. In the second half of the show, we shift to artificial intelligence, music sampling, and the creative act. How does Jeff Chang view generative AI? What does his close friend, legendary hip-hop producer DJ Shadow, think about AI tools, sampling ethics, and machine-made music? (Spoiler: Shadow tried AI, and he thinks it's corny). How do you explain Bruce Lee to a generation raised on John Wick and The Matrix? Chang starts simply: "He’s the guy who made all of that possible." In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Bruce Lee evolved from a war baby in occupied Hong Kong and child star to cha-cha champion and Hollywood pioneer • His struggle with racism in Seattle, his role as Kato in The Green Hornet, and the famous letter he wrote promising himself $10M and global fame • The cinematic evolution between The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and Enter the Dragon • The deeper meaning behind "Be Water" and the title Water Mirror Echo • How DJ Shadow and Jeff Chang view AI, sampling culture, and the legacy of Endtroducing • Autonomous media, machine creativity, and whether humans can truly love art created by an algorithm Please enjoy the show. Links & Resources 📚 Jeff Chang’s books & bio: jeffchang.net 📷 Jeff Chang on Instagram: @zentronix 🖊️ Read Jeff's Substack: zentronix.substack.com Connect with Thinking on Paper 🌐 Website & Show Notes: thinkingonpaper.xyz 📷 Instagram: @toptechpodcast 🎧 Spotify: Listen on Spotify 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts Chapters (00:00) Bruce Lee, AI, and the First Draft (02:06) Who Was Bruce Lee? Defining a Legend (05:15) How Bruce Lee Made Zen Pop Culture (10:05) The Letter to Himself and Napoleon Hill's Mindset (15:33) Wartime Hong Kong & Martial Arts Origins (18:37) Seattle, Early Racism, and Cha-Cha Champion (21:19) The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and Enter the Dragon (28:17) Be Water: Bruce Lee's Philosophy & Real Fighting (32:21) Water, Mirror, Echo: Meaning Behind the Book Title (34:25) Does Jeff Chang Use AI? (40:24) DJ Shadow on AI, Sampling, and Endtroducing (48:26) Generative Art: Could You Love Machine-Made Music? (54:28) Single-Mindedness and Bruce Lee's Final Legacy #brucelee #jeffchang #djshadow #ai #generativeai #watermirrorecho #asianamericanhistory #hiphopculture #thinkingonpaper
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