Chris sends me arXiv:1005.1381:A Mathematical Model for the Dynamics and Synchronization of Cows Authors: Jie Sun, Erik M. Bollt, Mason A. Porter, Marian S. Dawkins Abstract: We formulate a mathematical model for daily activities of a cow (eating, lying down, and standing) in terms of a piecewise affine dynamical system. We analyze the properties of this bovine dynamical system representing the single animal and develop an exact integrative form as a discrete-time mapping. We then couple multiple cow "oscillators" together to study synchrony and cooperation in cattle herds. We comment on the…
Here's an interview with Daniel Lidar whose was the postdoc who first taught me quantum error correction (and more.) No, not that LIDAR! Note to all you job seekers, even in your darkest hours know that you have friends out there who are working to change the abysmal state of quantum computing hiring:I would also hope to see a wave of new faculty positions at US institutions for quantum computation theoreticians and experimentalists. We now have the first generation of students and postdocs trained in this field, many of whom are finding it very difficult to land faculty positions in the US…
What prefix do you use for 1027? If Austin Sendak has his way, it will be hella (also Time article here.) The diameter of the observable universe is about one hellameter. As a fellow member of the club "people from Yreka, CA who do physics," I strongly support Austin's idea. Indeed it now tops my list of proposed prefix changes, a list that includes "tiny-" for 10-5 and my former front runner for 1027 "bronto-." But the real question is what do we call 10x when we don't know x? I suggest the prefix "huh". Examples: "My answer of about 5 huh-people wasn't good enough to land me a job at…
Over at masteroftheuniverse, the master has posted a great list of prop bets. Among his bets is one that probably won't work on many computer scientists (or it shouldn't if they've had even a decent theory course) based upon the birthday problem. Sometimes the birthday problem is called the birthday paradox, but the problem is no more a paradox than the twin paradox is about twins. The birthday problem has to do with the probability that a set of randomly drawn people share a birthday. In other words, assuming that everyone in a group of N people has an equal probability of being born on a…
Items sharing a similar topic, meandered onto in the depths of a major outpouring of procrastination... The path less traveled by Andrea Schweitzer (via @mattleifer) on a different way to have a career as a scientist. And for a description of one of the most successful scientists from quantum computing, an interview with Ignacio Cirac (sent to me by Daniel.) Somedays, however, one might wonder about all the time professors spend working and contemplate the idea of death by tenure track. Or if you care a lot about the notion of tenure versus non-tenure AND you don't mind reading redstate.…
A bunch of you sent me Like my father used to say when we'd cook Bacon: "Check your toes!" Also, someone is addicted...to bacon salt. I tried it on popcorn and I have to say that I wasn't hooked. But then again I like "Spike" on my popcorn. And, on a not so safe for work bacon note (NUDITY IMPLIED?) Bacon Bra. Finally here is what April fools day looked like for our household: Now what can I think to do with a giant six foot Sonic? Hmm...
Lest you think I'm not working:
The APS March meeting is next week as 10000 physicists invade Portland, Oregon. I hope Powell's bookstore has stocked their science sections well! GQI, the topical group on quantum information, sponsors a good number of sessions at the meeting including sessions with invited talks, focus sessions, and general sessions. Below the fold I'm assembling a list of quantum computing sessions, but before the fold I'd like to point out the invited sessions, which have longer speaking slots where one can actually learn more than the speakers name and research project title, that are sponsored or…
Hm, today we seem to have a posting from beyond the grave, arXiv:1003.2133:Proof of the Ergodic Theorem and the H-Theorem in Quantum MechanicsAuthors: John von Neumann Abstract: It is shown how to resolve the apparent contradiction between the macroscopic approach of phase space and the validity of the uncertainty relations. The main notions of statistical mechanics are re-interpreted in a quantum-mechanical way, the ergodic theorem and the H-theorem are formulated and proven (without "assumptions of disorder"), followed by a discussion of the physical meaning of the mathematical conditions…
A theoretical condensed matter postdoc of interest to the quantum computing folks:Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theoretical Condensed Matter and Quantum Information Science at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, University of Maryland. Applications are being accepted for physics postdoctoral research positions in quantum information and device theory at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) at the University of Maryland-College Park. Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following categories is desired: semiconductor/condensed-matter physics, solid-state quantum computing (e.…
Ever wanted to ask a Nobel Laureate in physics a question? Well here's your chance: check out this youtube page where you can upload your own questions to Albert Fert, 2007 Nobel prize winner for Giant Magnetoresistance.
arXiv:1003.1153: Quantum Dating MarketAuthors: O.G. Zabaleta, C.M. ArizmendiAbstract: We consider the dating market decision problem under the quantum mechanics point of view. Quantum states whose associated amplitudes are modified by men strategies are used to represent women. Grover quantum search algorithm is used as a playing strategy. Success is more frequently obtained by playing quantum than playing classic.
It's like Jackass for people who can wire stuff together (via @JoeAndrieu): Happy Friday!
Congrats to OneBusAway, winners of the 2010 WTIA Industry Achievement Award for "best use of technology in the government, nonprofit or education sector". OneBusAway was started by University of Washington students and provides real time access to transit information here in the Seattle area. I know it best through it's iPhone app, which is by far my most regularly used app (sure I probably use email more, but the iPhone app I use every weekday nearly without exception.) Yeah, yeah I know you fancy European cities will scoff at our backward nature, but I will tell you that the iPhone app is…
Scienceblogs and Serious Eats are teaming up this year for the 2010 Pi Day Bake-Off. I wonder if Mrs. Pontiff is up to defending her crown?
Thomson Reuter's website Sciencewatch.com has a special section out on citation and paper data for the last ten years of quantum computing. More below the fold. The first interesting thing that everyone wants to know about such list is, of course, "who's number 1?!?" Well the most cited paper over the last 10 years according to this survey was "A scheme for efficient quantum computation with linear optics" by Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn (Nature, 409, 46-52 (2001)). Not too surprising given that this paper established a completely new method for building a quantum computer and, equally…
Today Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer spoke at the University of Washington in the Microsoft Atrium of the Computer Science & Engineering department's Paul Allen Center. As you can tell from that first sentence UW and Microsoft have long had very tight connections. Indeed, perhaps the smartest thing the UW has ever done was, when they caught two kids using their computers they didn't call the police, but instead ended up giving them access to those computers. I like to think that all the benefit$ that UW has gotten from Microsoft are a great big karmic kickback for the enlightened sense of…