Theoretical Musings
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.)
May 16, 2008
Category: Wine
Robert Mondavi, who helped put Napa Valley on the world wine map has passed away age 94. The most famous story about Mondavi involves a fight:The Mondavis moved to Napa, and Cesare, Robert and Robert's younger brother, Peter, ran the...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 5:33 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 15, 2008
Category: Physics
I'm a sucker for any game which involves time travel. If only now I could go back in time and use my time more wisely than I did by playing that silly game....
Posted by Dave Bacon at 4:25 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 14, 2008
Category: Science
Interesting new website from the New York Academy of Sciences: Scientists Without Borders:Scientists Without BordersSM aims to mobilize and coordinate science-based activities that improve quality of life in the developing world. The research community is already promoting areas such as...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 6:37 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 13, 2008
Category: Quantum
Over at the Optimizer's place, the Optimizer compares libertarians and those who believe in the many worlds interpretation of quantum theory. (Key Ron Paul apologists in three, two, one...) An amusing comparison. So if many worlders are the libertarians of...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:43 PM • 21 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 11, 2008
Category: Funny Ha Ha
Be sure to watch out for the Pacific Northwest tree octopus!...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 9:49 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 10, 2008
Category: Teaching
For a second straight year, the winner of the U.S. Teacher of the Year, is a University of Washington graduate. Of course I'm not supposed to say that, as not bragging is an sacred northwest tradition. (Did you know that...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 3:13 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
Category: Science
Science is full of hard problems. One hard problem is protein folding. Indeed vast amounts of computer power have been thrown at this problem. So one wouldn't think that the computer we've got sitting on top of our body would...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 9:20 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
May 9, 2008
Category: Computer Science
From a student today in office hours before today's midterm: "How many times will the word automata appear in the test, including its use in acronyms like DFA, NFA, GNFA, and WTFA?"...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 3:48 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
Category: Funny Ha Ha
From the annals of "is that really the word you wanted?" from a New York Times article on steampunk:"There seems to be this sort of perfect storm of interest in steampunk right now," Mr. von Slatt said. "If you go...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:01 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
Category: Quantum Computing
Of interest to quantum computeristas: Cosmologist Niel Turok has been named the new director of the Perimeter Institute. Onward and upward!...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 10:57 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks• View blog reactions
