Lifeboat Foundation

A few weeks ago, I attended the Seven Pines Symposium on Fundamental Problems in Physics outside Minneapolis, where I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion with Sir Roger Penrose. The way it worked was, Penrose spoke for a half hour about his ideas about conscious ness (Gödel, quantum gravity, microtubules, uncomputability, you know the drill), then I delivered a half-hour “response,” and then there was an hour of questions and discussion from the floor. Below, I’m sharing the prepared notes for my talk, as well as some very brief recollections about the discussion afterward. (Sorry, there’s no audio or video.) I unfortunately don’t have the text or transparencies for Penrose’s talk available to me, but—with one exception, which I touch on in my own talk—his talk very much followed the outlines of his famous books, The Emperor’s New Mind and Shadows of the Mind.

Admittedly, for regular readers of this blog, not much in my own talk will be new either. Apart from a few new wisecracks, almost all of the material (including the replies to Penrose) is contained in The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine, Could A Quantum Computer Have Subjective Experience? (my talk at IBM T. J. Watson), and Quantum Computing Since Democritus chapters 4 and 11. See also my recent answer on Quora to “What’s your take on John Searle’s Chinese room argument”?

Continue reading “‘Can computers become conscious?’: My reply to Roger Penrose” »

Battery performance is heavily influenced by the non-uniformity and failure of individual electrode particles. Understanding the reaction mechanisms and failure modes at nanoscale level is key to advancing battery technologies and extending their lifespan. However, capturing real-time electrochemical evolution at this scale remains challenging due to the limitations of existing sensing methods, which lack the necessary spatial resolution and sensitivity.

Quantum squeezing is a concept in quantum physics where the uncertainty in one aspect of a system is reduced while the uncertainty in another related aspect is increased. Imagine squeezing a round balloon filled with air. In its normal state, the balloon is perfectly spherical. When you squeeze one side, it gets flattened and stretched out in the other direction. This represents what is happening in a squeezed quantum state: you are reducing the uncertainty (or noise) in one quantity, like position, but in doing so, you increase the uncertainty in another quantity, like momentum. However, the total uncertainty remains the same, since you are just redistributing it between the two. Even though the overall uncertainty remains the same, this ‘squeezing’ allows you to measure one of those variables with much greater precision than before.

This technique has already been used to improve the accuracy of measurements in situations where only one variable needs to be precisely measured, such as in improving the precision of atomic clocks. However, using squeezing in cases where multiple factors need to be measured simultaneously, such as an object’s position and momentum, is much more challenging.

In a research paper published in Physical Review Research (“Squeezing-induced quantum-enhanced multiphase estimation”), Tohoku University’s Dr. Le Bin Ho explores the effectiveness of the squeezing technique in enhancing the precision of measurements in quantum systems with multiple factors. The analysis provides theoretical and numerical insights, aiding in the identification of mechanisms for achieving maximum precision in these intricate measurements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si\u003doKkiYzJ96H2hY9en\u0026v\u003d1_gJp2uAjO0\u0026feature\u003dyoutu.be

Quantum computers have the ability to harness the mysterious effects of quantum physics, making them a game changer for science. Professor Hannah Fry explains how they work on The Future with Hannah Fry.

With the promise of unimaginable computing power, a global race for quantum supremacy is raging. Who will be first to harness this new technological force, and what will they do with it?

Continue reading “The Race to Harness Quantum Computing’s Mind-Bending Power” »

“The research aims to better understand how quantum squeezing can be used in more complicated measurement situations involving the estimation of multiple phases,” said Le. “By figuring out how to achieve the highest level of precision, we can pave the way for new technological breakthroughs in quantum sensing and imaging.”

The study looked at a situation where a three-dimensional magnetic field interacts with an ensemble of identical two-level quantum systems. In ideal cases, the precision of the measurements can be as accurate as theoretically possible. However, earlier research has struggled to explain how this works, especially in real-world situations where only one direction achieves full quantum entanglement.

This research will have broad implications. By making quantum measurements more precise for multiple phases, it could significantly advance various technologies. For example, quantum imaging could produce sharper images, quantum radar could detect objects more accurately, and atomic clocks could become even more precise, improving GPS and other time-sensitive technologies.

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s most powerful X-ray laser located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the US, is set for a major upgrade that will increase its X-ray energy 3,000-fold, a press release shared with Interesting Engineering said.

When complete, the upgrade will let scientists explore atomic-scale processes in their search for answers in biology, materials science, quantum physics, and much more.

Take a listen to this 7-min.

Podcast preview discussing the D-Theory of Time paper and the upcoming eBook release: The nature of time has long been a subject of profound inquiry within both the realms of physics and philosophy. This research paper introduces the “D-Theory of Time,” a novel conceptual framework that seeks to advance our comprehension of temporal mechanics. Departing from traditional paradigms, the D-Theory posits that time is not merely a linear progression of events but a dynamic, multidimensional construct influenced by both physical and cognitive phenomena. By integrating insights from quantum mechanics, relativity, and cognitive science, this theory offers a more holistic understanding of temporal flow and its implications on our perception of reality. Key elements include the exploration of temporal entanglement, the fluidity of past, present, and future, and the interplay between consciousness and temporal experience. This paper aims to elucidate the foundational principles of the D-Theory, provide empirical support through experimental data, and discuss its potential to resolve longstanding paradoxes in the study of time. The D-Theory of Time represents a significant upgrade to our understanding of temporal mechanics, opening new avenues for research and philosophical contemplation.

Continue reading “Temporal Mechanics: D-Theory of Time | Podcast Preview” »

Extremely thin materials consisting of just a few atomic layers promise applications for electronics and quantum technologies. An international team led by TU Dresden has now made remarkable progress with an experiment conducted at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR): The experts were able to induce an extremely fast switching process between electrically neutral and charged luminescent particles in an ultra-thin, effectively two-dimensional material.

Deep-learning models are being used in many fields, from health care diagnostics to financial forecasting. However, these models are so computationally intensive that they require the use of powerful cloud-based servers.