Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author, predictor of the future, and inspirer of at least one little kid from rural Northern California, is dead at age 90.
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Broken Glass Everywhere, If It Ain't About the Money, Puff Just Don't Care
To the jerk, or jerks, who broke into my car and stole my laptop and passport while parked in downtown Vancouver. Pfffft! You stink! And just what do you think you’re going to do with all those LaTeX files? Maybe you should try to sell them to D-wave! (For the humor impaired: that’s a joke.)
Off the Queue and Into the Mind
Seeker by Jack McDevitt, Newton’s Wake: A Space Opera by Ken MacLeod, and Eater by Gregory Benford. Seems I am on a science fiction kick. That must be a sign that I’m looking for new ideas to work on.
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ACM Transactions on Computation Theory
As noted by Lance, the new journal ACM Transactions on Computation Theory is now accepting papers. Note for quantum computing theorists:
ACM Transactions on Computation Theory will cover theoretical computer science complementing the scope of the ACM Transactions on Algorithms and the ACM Transactions on Computational Logic including, but not limited to, computational complexity, foundations of cryptography, randomness in computing, coding theory, models of computation including parallel, distributed and quantum and other emerging models, computational learning theory, theoretical computer science aspects of areas such as databases, information retrieval, economic models and networks.
So next time you write a paper which involves QMA, the Hidden Subgroup, etc. etc. make sure to give ToCT a look!
Google Sky
A favorite quote of mine from Vincent van Gogh: “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Especially when I can access them through my web browser. Here in Seattle this is greatly needed, since there are vast portions of the winter when the night sky is hidden behind puffy clouds. I mean I need to be reminded every once in a while that I’m a little little speck in a big big universe.
First one to spot a Dyson sphere wins.
Intergalactic Planetary
Paul Krugman proves that not only is a bad ass economist, but that he is also a pretty cool guy:
Thirty years ago I was an oppressed assistant professor, caught up in the academic rat race. To cheer myself up I wrote — well, see for yourself. Joshua Gans of the University of Melbourne scanned a copy of the thing I wrote — back then academics did their work with typewriters, abacuses, and stone axes — and was good enough to send me a copy. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Theory of Interstellar Trade.
I wonder what the equivalent of that paper is for quantum computing? Oh, wait, ALL our theory papers are like “The Theory of Interstellar Trade.”
3.14159265 is Approximately 1
Happy Talk like a physicist day, Happy Pi day, and Happy birthday dear uncle Albert.
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Bristol Summer School on Probabilistic Techniques in Computer Science
An interesting summer school for computer scientists interested in probabilistic techniques to be held in Bristol, UK (you know the school that had a chalkboard with the statement that quantum computers could efficiently solve NP-complete problems 🙂 ) Deadline fast approaching. Details below.
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In Conclusion…Can You Hold For a Second?
How cut-throat is arXiv:0803.0272? This cut-throat (taken from v2 of the paper):
X. CONCLUSION AND FURTHER READING
This section will be completed when our error correction simulations have generated more data.
Reminds me of my idea to write a paper and submit it to the arxiv entitled “An Efficient Quantum Algorithm for the Graph Isomorphism Problem.” Sure, version 1, won’t have the algorithm, but hey, why should I make you wait?
March Meeting Summary
I’m heading home from the March meeting, after giving my talk this morning and then having a nice lunch with graduate (and one undergraduate) students at a “Meet the Experts” lunch. Yeah, somehow I slipped by the guards! Luckily a real expert was there, in the form of Paul Kwiat, so all was good and the students didn’t learn anything to disastrous. “What I learned at the March meeting” below the fold.
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