Not Cuil : The Quantum Pontiff

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Dave Bacon is a theoretical ski bum who is also a pseudo professor. 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.) Nothing he says on this blog should be construed as having anything to do with his employer or his dog.

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Cows are well approximated by a sphere.

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Not Cuil

Category: Quantum • Technology
Posted on: July 31, 2008 10:57 AM, by Dave Bacon

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Sure quantum computers can find a needle in an unstructured haystack quadratically faster than their classical brethren, but I didn't think the word "quantum" and "search" would appear in the press quite this soon: Ex-Googlers reinvent web search: Quantum porn (not safe for work! i.e. they show the quantum porn!) and Quantum porn engine foiled by strawberries and muffins: How the Cuil kids live. And yes, I "cuil"ed my own name, and no, this blog doesn't come up (nor any quantum porn.)

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Comments

It sounds like it was noticed too soon. They may have something cool there (no pun intended), but of course it's going to be wonky at first. Billing it as the project of a bunch of ex-Googlers is dooming it failure, as people expect it to be perfect out of the door.

Posted by: Chris Granade | July 31, 2008 11:29 AM

I guess by the title I was expecting to see a couple of qubits gettin' it on. Bummer. That would have been interesting.

Posted by: Ian Durham | July 31, 2008 12:37 PM

Well, that sort of explains (without really explaining) something I had been wondering about. When I first heard about Cuil I tried it on my own name, and it did find several instances of me (although not my blog for some reason). But it paired up each hit with an image that had no discernible connection to the corresponding web page. At least there was no porn, thankfully.

Posted by: Kurt | July 31, 2008 2:57 PM

Quantum porn? I guess superposition takes on a whole new meaning.

Posted by: JohnQPublic | July 31, 2008 4:00 PM

In all fairness, "Grattage" does rhyme with "frottage."

Ooh, I think I'll go look up "banal duck" and "loop spacial."

Posted by: HP | July 31, 2008 5:08 PM

Re: HP - not if you pronounce "Grattage" correctly...

It's easy to get entangled in quantum porn, but eventually you'll be observed and that just leads to collapse, etc, etc...

Cuil seem to have fixed this now, and have offered a nice apology.

Posted by: Jon Grattage | August 1, 2008 3:11 AM

Quantum porn! New ways for naked oscillating bodies to be entangled. Want to watch? Enter your credit card number now...

Posted by: Jonathan Vos Post | August 1, 2008 12:26 PM