The Quantum Pontiff

QCMC 2008 in Calgary call for abstracts, Quantum Information and Control in Cairns, Australia call for abstracts, Covaqial, Brassard nominated for Herzberg Medal, and the limits of quantum computers.

• QCMC 2008, to be held in Calgary (why do I want to say "yippee ki yay" whenever I hear the word "Calgary?") is asking for abstract submissions:

  This is a call for abstract submission to the Ninth International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing (QCMC), which will be held at the University of Calgary, Canada, on August 19 to 24, 2008.

  A one-page abstract of your presentation should be submitted via the web interface at http://www.qcmc2008.org/ before April 15, 2008. The same site contains abstract templates and preparation instructions.

  We are also accepting nominations for the 2008 International Quantum Communication Award for outstanding achievements in quantum communication research, which will be presented at the meeting. In order to make a nomination, please email Dr. Osamu Hirota
  (db: see website for email) before April 1.

  We offer conference fee / travel / accommodation grants for outstanding undergraduates who are interested in pursuing quantum information research. Additionally, a limited number of subsidies are available to participants who are presenting papers and are in need of financial
  support. Applications for both kinds of support are accepted at the meeting web site before April 15.



• Quantum Information and Control in Cairns, Australia, is asking for abstracts:
  

  This is the first call for abstracts for the workshop on Quantum Information and Control in Queensland, in Palm Cove, Cairns, Australia, being held from June 30 to July 3, 2008, http://quantum.info/cairns.

  The last five years have seen significant experimental and theoretical advances in quantum information and quantum control. This international workshop will bring together researchers in:
  * Quantum communication * Quantum computation * Quantum metrology
  * Quantum control * Quantum foundations
  There will be invited and contributed talks, as well as poster sessions and plenty of time for discussions. Young people are especially encouraged to participate.

  Information on Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, rainforests, etc. can be found at http://www.tropicalaustralia.com.au/things_to_do_and_see. The workshop is being held in the Novotel Palm Cove Resort, http://www.novotel-pcr.com.au. If you are thinking of traveling with your families we have arranged for discounted accommodation either side of the workshop.

  Very cool, discounted accommodation either side of the workshop!


• An article on "analogue logic" for quantum computing and describes a new project "Covaqial" being led by Nicholas Cerf (who supervised an undergraduate project on quantum computing, many, many moons ago.)


• Gilles Brassard has been nominated for the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. One of three nominees, the award winner will be announced next month in Ottawa.


• Scott Aaronson's Scientific American article on the limits of quantum computers is out. Reading slashdot on the article is guaranteed to make you dumber. My faith in humanity goes minus ten percent every time I look at that site.