10000 100000! An old man.
If you believe in signs appearing the sky you might be interested to know that thirty two years ago today there was a Lunar eclipse. So if you think I’m a little crazy (okay a lot crazy) then you can consitently incorporate that observation with the fact that I was born on a lunar eclipse.
Revitalized
Over the past two days I’ve been trying to dig my way out of my inbox, submit reviews that I’ve been putting off, and even attempting to clean my office. I’m now down to 40 emails from a starting total of over 2500. Now that’s a great feeling! And look how much stronger I am now. I can now hold up the sun (okay this picture was taken last month BTW):
Seen in Hawaii
But are smoking dogs which are not golfing okay? What about dogs which are golfing, but not smoking?
On the Road Again
5/7: MIT Quantum Information Processing seminar series (4pm in 26-214)
Title: Quantum Algorithms Using Clebsch-Gordan Transforms
Abstract: In nearly every quantum algorithm which exponentially outperfroms the best classical algorithm the quantum Fourier transform plays a central role. Recently, however, cracks in the quantum Fourier transform paradigm have begun to emerge. In this talk I will discuss one such development which arises in a new efficient quantum algorithm for the Heisenberg hidden subgroup problem. In particular I will show how considerations of symmetry for this hidden subgroup problem lead naturally to a different transform than the quantum Fourier transform, the Clebsch-Gordan transform over the Heisenberg group. Clebsch-Gordan transforms over finite groups thus appear to be an important new tool for those attempting to find new quantum algorithms. [Part of this work was done in collaboration with Andrew Childs (Caltech) and Wim van Dam (UCSB)]
5/10: University of Oregon Physics Seminar (4pm in 100 Willamette)
Title: When Physicists Build Quantum Algorithms
Abstract: Our universe is a quantum universe, obeying the laws of quantum theory to high precision. Thus it makes perfect sense to base the most fundamental model of a computer (which is, of course, nothing more than a physical device obeying the laws of physics) upon gadgets which respect the laws of quantum theory. Such “quantum computers” have attracted widespread attention over the last decade, in large part due to the ability of these computers to break modern cryptosystems and to outperform classical computers at certain algorithmic tasks. An important grand challenge for quantum computing these days is to find new quantum algorithms which outperform their classical counterparts. As a physicist, however, you may wonder, “what role can I play in coming up with new quantum algorithms, I’m just a pragmatic physicist?” In this talk I will give examples of new quantum algorithms inspired and devised by physicists, using tools and techniques which are near and dear to most physicists. These new quantum algorithms suggest that there is much that physics can contribute to the theory of quantum computing algorithms.
5/16: Perimeter Institute Quantum Discussions (4pm in room 405):
Title: Quantum Algorithms Using Clebsch-Gordan Transforms
Abstract: In nearly every quantum algorithm which exponentially outperfroms the best classical algorithm the quantum Fourier transform plays a central role. Recently, however, cracks in the quantum Fourier transform paradigm have begun to emerge. In this talk I will discuss one such development which arises in a new efficient quantum algorithm for the Heisenberg hidden subgroup problem. In particular I will show how considerations of symmetry for this hidden subgroup problem lead naturally to a different transform than the quantum Fourier transform, the Clebsch-Gordan transform over the Heisenberg group. Clebsch-Gordan transforms over finite groups thus appear to be an important new tool for those attempting to find new quantum algorithms. [Part of this work was done in collaboration with Andrew Childs (Caltech) and Wim van Dam (UCSB)]
And I’m not even interview for jobs 😉 And look, I’ve got the same title and abstract for my MIT and Perimeter talks. Been a long time since I gave the same talk twice. From past experience the jokes are bad in both talks 🙂
Once I Was a Physicist
I’ve always (not really 🙂 ) dreamed of being in Physics Today (and not in the obituary section!), but I never imagined that when it happened I would be called a computer scientist! From Physics Today, Aprill 2007 edition, in the web watch box (sorry subscribers only!):
Scirate
Dave Bacon, a computer scientist at the University of Washington, has devised a way to filter the torrent of preprints from arXiv and other servers. His experimental website, Scirate, works like flickr and other social websites. Individual users rank the preprints they come across. Scirate then gathers those rankings and lists the preprints according to their popularity.
http://scirate.com
My apologies to all you real computer scientists for whom calling me a computer scientist is very much quite an insult!
Ketchup-ing
Things that happened while I was off the edge of the Interwebs:
- Cormac McCarthy (my office neighbor while I was at the Santa Fe Institute) won the Pulitzer for fiction for his novel The Road
. Cormac is also (amazingly!) giving an interview on Oprah, which is almost as amazing as Pynchon appearing on the Simpsons.
- A new branch campus for the University of Washington is moving forward. This is a compromise over a previous attempt by the city of Everett to establish an independent polytechnic, which they hypothetically called the “Washington Institute of Technology” (WIT…you have to have a sense of humor to teach there?) This will bring to four the number of posts I have under the category of WIT.
- Quantum inteference in photosynthesis
- Earth-like planet discovered only twenty light years away. (Probably) five times
the size ofas massive as the Earth. If we send off an expedition today, by the time we arrive we should have been able to evolve to survive in thefive timeshigher gravity? - Papers scirate wants me to read while I was away: 0704.3432, 0704.2529, 0704.2575, 0704.2575, 0704.2241, and 0704.3142.
- A horrible title for a Nature blurb, “Quantum cryptography is hacked,” about an experiment performed at MIT (Phys. Rev. A, 75, 042327.) Notice how an inacurate title leads to all sorts of bad follow ups. That’s almost egregious enough to induce a Rage Against Doofosity!
Married!
April 15, 2007 in Ashland, Oregon
Best Bacon Butty
Nihilism Rocks, Baby
Why I Loved Caltech
From an article in today’s New York Times on college admissions:
But with more and more students filling out ever more applications, schools like the California Institute of Technology received a record number of applications this year — 3,595, or 8 percent more than last year — and admitted 576 students. Among so many talented applicants, a prospective student with perfect SAT scores was not unusual, said Jill Perry, a Caltech spokeswoman.
“The successful students have to have shown some passion for science and technology in high school or their personal life,” Ms. Perry said. “That means creating a computer system for your high school, or taking a tractor apart and putting it back together.”
I’m imagining a box on the Caltech application which says “Check here if you have ever taken a tractor apart and put it back together.” 🙂