John Preskill
Faculty, Quantum Information
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This Video Of Scientists Splitting An Electron Will Shock You
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKFecm9NKbM?vq=hd720&rel=0&showinfo=0] by Jorge Cham. Ok, this is where things get weird. If quantum computers, femtometer motions or laser alligators weren't enough, let's throw in fractionalized electrons, topological surfaces and strings that go to the end of time. To be honest, the idea that an electron can't be split hadn't even occurred to me before my conversation with Gil [...]
A Quantum Adventure
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zD1U1sIPQ4?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0] by Jorge Cham How do you make something that has never existed before? I often get suggestions for comics I should draw, which I welcome because A) I like to think of PHD Comics as a global collaborative effort and B) after 17 years, I'm almost out of ideas. This particular suggestion came from Chen-Lung [...]
Quantum Matter Animated!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pktWhH6m_DM?vq=hd720&rel=0&showinfo=0] by Jorge Cham What does it mean for something to be Quantum? I have to confess, I don't know. My Ph.D was in Robotics and Kinematics, so my neurons are deeply trained to think in terms of classical dynamics. I asked my siblings (two engineers and one architect) what comes to mind for them [...]
How to build a teleportation machine: Intro to entanglement
Oh my, I ate the whole thing again. Are physicists eligible for Ben and Jerry’s sponsorships? I’m not sure what covers more ground when I go for a long run — my physical body or my metaphorical mind? Chew on that one, zen scholar! Anyways, I basically wrote the following post during [...]
What’s inside a black hole?
I have a multiple choice question for you. What's inside a black hole? (A) An unlimited amount of stuff. (B) Nothing at all. (C) A huge but finite amount of stuff, which is also outside the black hole. (D) None of the above. The first three answers all seem absurd, boosting the credibility of (D). [...]
Talking quantum mechanics with second graders
“What’s the hardest problem you’ve ever solved?” Kids focus right in. Driven by a ruthless curiosity, they ask questions from which adults often shy away. Which is great, if you think you know the answer to everything a 7 year-old can possibly ask you... Two Wednesdays ago, I was invited to participate in three Q&A [...]
A detective with a quantum helper
Have you ever wanted to be incredibly perceptive and make far-reaching deductions about people? I have always been fascinated by spy stories, and how the main character in them notices tiny details of his surroundings to navigate life-or-death situations. This skill seems out of reach for us normal people; you have to be "a high-functioning [...]
Quantum gravity from quantum error-correcting codes?
The lessons we learned from the Ryu-Takayanagi formula, the firewall paradox and the ER=EPR conjecture have convinced us that quantum information theory can become a powerful tool to sharpen our understanding of various problems in high-energy physics. But, many of the concepts utilized so far rely on entanglement entropy and its generalizations, quantities developed by [...]
Opportunities
Opportunities Membership in IQIM is through affiliation with an IQIM faculty member or research group participating in IQIM. IQIM is not a separate department; all members of IQIM are also members of the Physics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, or other associated department. The path to join IQIM is first to join the institute in [...]