The Quantum Pontiff : Seattle Has the World's First Quantum Computer

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Dave Bacon is a theoretical ski bum who is also an assistant research professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research is on quantum computing, his scientific passions extend to everything in physics, mathematics, computer science and beyond, and his personal pleasures include making wine, playing poker, skiing, camping, and daydreaming (although not all of those at the same time.)

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Seattle Has the World's First Quantum Computer

Category: Funny Ha Ha • Quantum Computing
Posted on: April 9, 2008 2:42 PM, by Dave Bacon

The ads on scienceblogs today lead me to find out that, apparently, I can buy a quantum computer right here from Seattle based REI:

And only $70 bucks! Jeez, those D-wave investors overpaid. I wonder how you use it to factor? But the number in the bag and wait?

Comments

No, no, no. This is a Quantum Computer BRIEF. ... Like underwear, but for your computer. ... Quantumly.

Posted by: Greg Laden | April 9, 2008 2:57 PM

I thought it meant that it only worked briefly. And then turned back into a piece of luggage.

Posted by: Dave Bacon | April 9, 2008 2:58 PM

No, that's a legal brief in a computer case. "Quantum" means it's the shortest brief a lawyer is capable of writing. Probably the number of pages equals the reciprocal of Planck's Constant.

Posted by: HennepinCountyLawyer | April 9, 2008 5:01 PM

Ah, so number of pages is measured in inverse action units!

Posted by: Dave Bacon | April 9, 2008 5:43 PM

By that argument quantum field theorists would make excellent lawyers since they usually work in natural units such that h = 1. Can you imagine if quantum field theorists had written the tax code? Would have saved a lot of trees...

Posted by: Ian Durham | April 9, 2008 8:53 PM

Oh. I thought it was a vintage thing. Schroedinger's briefcase. You could put the numbers in, at which point they'll be both factored and not factored. I think it may explain why he always had a slightly disappointed look on his face when rooting around inside it.

Posted by: SavageHenry | April 10, 2008 9:34 AM

Wow, no one saw Moore's law working out like That....

(well maybe Ray Kurzweil)

Posted by: Jason Failes | April 10, 2008 10:33 AM

Ian: I immediately think of "axiomatic tax code"

Posted by: Dave Bacon | April 10, 2008 12:16 PM

...and my very strange mind immediately wonders if attempts to axiomatize the tax code would be foiled by Gödel's theorem.

Strange unrelated fact: Gödel apparently found a logical flaw in the constitution that would supposedly lead to an autocratic government but Einstein talked him out of mentioning it to the judge at his citizenship hearing. The idea was written down in German and is supposedly in the Gödel archives awaiting re-discovery...

Posted by: Ian Durham | April 10, 2008 8:13 PM

Ask an you shall receive: http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/psa/sec16.htm#B

Posted by: Dave Bacon | April 10, 2008 8:45 PM

It is clearly a brief (case) wherein you may (or may not) find your (or someone else's) quantum computer. For $70, how could you not buy one?

Posted by: mrG | April 13, 2008 7:25 PM

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Seattle Has the World's First Quantum Computer

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