Scott Aaronson is a quantum computer scientist. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - SimpliSafe: https://simplisafe.com/lex and use code LEX to get a free security camera - Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex and use code LEX to get $200 off - ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod to get 3 months free - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex and use code LEX to get 10% off EPISODE LINKS: Scott's Blog: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/ Our previous episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX5t8EivCaM PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 3:31 - Simulation 8:22 - Theories of everything 14:02 - Consciousness 36:16 - Roger Penrose on consciousness 46:28 - Turing test 50:16 - GPT-3 58:46 - Universality of computation 1:05:17 - Complexity 1:11:23 - P vs NP 1:23:41 - Complexity of quantum computation 1:35:48 - Pandemic 1:49:33 - Love CONNECT: - Subscribe to this YouTube channel - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
Scott Aaronson - https://www.scottaaronson.com/ - is the David J. Bruton Centennial Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, and director of its Quantum Information Center. Before teaching at UT, he taught Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. His research interests center around the capabilities and limits of quantum computers, and computational complexity theory more generally. If you’ve listened to our other episodes about quantum computers and are curious to learn more, check out Scott’s book Quantum Computing Since Democritus - https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Computing-since-Democritus-Aaronson/dp/0521199565 And if you want to read Scott’s blog you can find that at - https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/ Read the transcript on our blog - https://blog.ycombinator.com/scott-aaronson-on-computational-complexity-theory-and-quantum-computers The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon - https://twitter.com/craigcannon
My guest today is Scott Aaronson, a theoretical computer scientist, OG blogger, and quantum computing maestro. Scott has so many achievements and credentials that listing them here would take longer than recording the episode! Here's a select few: - Self-taught programmer at age 11, Cornell computer science student at 15, PhD recipient by 22! - Schlumberger Centennial Chair of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin. - Director of UT Austin's Quantum Information Center. - Former visiting researcher on OpenAI's alignment team (2022-2024). - Awarded the ACM prize in computing in 2020 and the Tomassoni-Chisesi Prize in Physics (under 40 category) in 2018. … you get the point. Scott and I dig into the misunderstood world of quantum computing — the hopes, the hindrances, and the hucksters — to unpack what a quantum-empowered future could really look like. We also discuss what makes humans special in the age of AI, the stubbornly persistent errors of the seat-to-keyboard interface, and MUCH more. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, some highlights from Scott’s blog, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!” check out our Substack - https://newsletter.osv.llc/. Important Links: - Shtetl-Optimized - https://scottaaronson.blog (Scott’s blog) - My Reading Burden - https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8217 - On blankfaces - https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8217 Show Notes: 0:00:00 Intro 0:00:38 Main podcast 0:01:52 So much reading. So little time. 0:07:26 The problem of human specialness in the age of AI 0:23:00 It’s always the same quantum weirdness 0:26:39 Why it’s easy to be a quantum huckster 0:31:06 Quantum progress, quantum hopes, and quantum limits 0:41:04 Encryption in a post-quantum world 0:52:12 Wielding the hammer of interference 1:01:50 Scientific discovery in a quantum empowered world 1:13:33 Bureaucracy and blank faces 1:16:03 Scott as Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: - The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams
Scott Aaronson is a Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, and director of its Quantum Information Center. He's the author of one of the most interesting blogs on the internet: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/ He was also my professor for a class on quantum computing. Episode Website: https://www.dwarkeshpatel.com/p/scott-aaronson Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3AXXrr2 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dYUCgc Follow me on Twitter to get updates on future episodes and guests: https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp Buy Scott's book on Quantum Computing since Democritus: https://amzn.to/3eanguN Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:33 Journey through high school and college 12:37 Early work 19:15 Why quantum computing took so long 33:30 Contributions from outside academia 38:18 Busy beaver function 53:50 New quantum algorithms 1:02:24 Clusters 1:06:23 Complexity and economics 1:13:26 Creativity 1:24:07 Advice to young people
Scott Aaronson is a Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, and director of its Quantum Information Center. He's the author of one of the most interesting blogs on the internet: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/ He was also my professor for a class on quantum computing. Episode Website: https://www.dwarkeshpatel.com/p/scott-aaronson Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3AXXrr2 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dYUCgc Follow me on Twitter to get updates on future episodes and guests: https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp Buy Scott's book on Quantum Computing since Democritus: https://amzn.to/3eanguN Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:33 Journey through high school and college 12:37 Early work 19:15 Why quantum computing took so long 33:30 Contributions from outside academia 38:18 Busy beaver function 53:50 New quantum algorithms 1:02:24 Clusters 1:06:23 Complexity and economics 1:13:26 Creativity 1:24:07 Advice to young people
Scott Aaronson is a professor at UT Austin, director of its Quantum Information Center, and previously a professor at MIT. His research interests center around the capabilities and limits of quantum computers and computational complexity theory more generally. This episode is presented by Cash App. Download it & use code "LexPodcast": Cash App (App Store): https://apple.co/2sPrUHe Cash App (Google Play): https://bit.ly/2MlvP5w This episode is also supported by the Techmeme Ride Home podcast. Get it on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2vIbh1k or find it by searching "Ride Home" in your podcast app. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 5:07 - Role of philosophy in science 29:27 - What is a quantum computer? 41:12 - Quantum decoherence (noise in quantum information) 49:22 - Quantum computer engineering challenges 51:00 - Moore's Law 56:33 - Quantum supremacy 1:12:18 - Using quantum computers to break cryptography 1:17:11 - Practical application of quantum computers 1:22:18 - Quantum machine learning, questinable claims, and cautious optimism 1:30:53 - Meaning of life CONNECT: - Subscribe to this YouTube channel - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
Full episode with Scott Aaronson (Feb 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX5t8EivCaM Clips channel (Lex Clips): https://www.youtube.com/lexclips Main channel (Lex Fridman): https://www.youtube.com/lexfridman (more links below) Podcast full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Podcasts clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/ai Podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes): https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 Podcast RSS: https://lexfridman.com/category/ai/feed/ Scott Aaronson is a professor at UT Austin, director of its Quantum Information Center, and previously a professor at MIT. His research interests center around the capabilities and limits of quantum computers and computational complexity theory more generally. Subscribe to this YouTube channel or connect on: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman