Aaronson's Latest Lecture on Quantum Computers

Dr. Quantum Supremacy has posted a new lecture:

Title: The TRUTH About Quantum Computing
Date: 2026-05-13 @5:00PM

Abstract: Yes, scalable quantum computing should actually work! Sooner than many expect, which will create a huge headache when it breaks the encryption currently used to protect the Internet. But no, we don't think quantum computing can do most of what the popular articles promise in AI and optimization and so forth. Come to this talk to learn about why!

Somehow he has gotten to be the academic authority on whether quantum supremacy has been achieved, so I always check his latest opinion. He seems to be getting more confident, but it is still just a prediction. He says it may or may not be achieved. And that not to trust your RSA keys.

And another one:

Title: Scott Aaronson - Theoretical Computer Science and AI Alignment
Date: 2026-05-14 @1:00PM

Abstract: I'll survey some areas where I think theoretical computer science, math, and statistics can potentially contribute to the urgent quest to align powerful AI with humane values. These areas include: the watermarking of AI outputs, mechanistic interpretability (including Paul Christiano's "No-Coincidence Principle," and succinct digests of the training process to aid interpretability), and theoretical guarantees for out-of-distribution generalization.

Also on the subject, Dr. Bee dropped a new one today that starts:

In Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the time an object experiences depends on its acceleration. But time in quantum physics works more intuitively – it’s a universal parameter experienced by every object in the same way. In a new paper, physicists say they want to use a special type of clock to test that difference. Let’s take a look.

0:00 Quantum physics says that objects can be in two places at the same time. A group of physicists now says that they can also be at two times at the same time, ...

No, quantum physics does not say that objects can be in two places at the same time. It does not say that cats can be alive and dead at the same time.

Quantum computers are often explained this way, but QM really just estimates probabilities for different place. Once you observe the object, it is in just one place. Her statement is like saying: probability theory says that a tossed coin can be heads and tails at the same time.