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.)
October 31, 2008
Category: Quantum Computing
Shor's algorithm is an algorithm for quantum computers which allows for efficiently factoring of numbers. This in turn allows Shor's algorithm to break the RSA public key cryptosystem. Further variations on Shor's algorithm break a plethora of other public key...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 5:37 PM • 9 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 29, 2008
Category: Wine
This weekend the grapes for my second "real" batch of wine were delivered to Mountain Homebrew and Wine Supply. Last years vintage, Villa Sophia "La Gruccia" was a success in that it didn't turn to vinegar and that over time...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 9:09 PM • 8 Comments • • View blog reactions
Category: Self: Meet Center. Center: Meet Self.
I've spent the last two days in the San Francisco bay area visiting first Stanford and then Berkeley....
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:20 AM • 5 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 26, 2008
Category: Go Ahead, Waste Your Time
Turn your face into a name (via torque). The "quantum pontiff" apparently has long hair:...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 1:47 PM • 4 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 24, 2008
Category: Quantum Computing
Bruce Schneier has a commentary up at Wired about quantum cryptography. There are a lot of good points about the article, but it left me kind of scratching my head. As far as I can tell Bruce Schneier believes that...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 6:24 PM • 34 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 23, 2008
Category: Quantum Computing
Stephen Jordan, now a postdoc at Caltech, has produced a useful little guide to quantum algorithms: a zoo of quantum algorithms. Help squash the myth that all there is to quantum algorithms are the algorithms of Shor and Grover!...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:24 PM • 11 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 22, 2008
Category: Computer Science
The universe doesn't always operate the way we want it to. No, I'm not talking about the stock market (unless you've been short lately), I'm talking about the role of error in logical deterministic systems! When you zoom down far...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:00 PM • 26 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 17, 2008
Category: Science
A very good essay Paul Krugman wrote on his method of doing research. Some good gems in there for researchers of all fields.The injunction to dare to be silly is not a license to be undisciplined. In fact, doing really...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 8:49 PM • 4 Comments • • View blog reactions
October 16, 2008
Category: Skiing
It's official: Loveland and Arapahoe Basin are open for the 2008-2009 ski season. Eighteen inches of man made snow may or may not, however, be considered good news....
Posted by Dave Bacon at 12:14 PM • 0 Comments • • View blog reactions
Category: Bacon
Okay, I think it is time I give in and create a category on the blog called "Bacon." Two new entries for the category:Bacon Robots. Think, people, before you start sizzling up the Bacon that falls from the sky.Bacon and...
Posted by Dave Bacon at 11:40 AM • 3 Comments • • View blog reactions
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