Scott Aaronson — Quantumania (EP.240)

Infinite Loops

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.

Important Links:

• Shtetl-Optimized (Scott’s blog)
• My Reading Burden
• On blankfaces

Show Notes:

• So much reading. So little time.
• The problem of human specialness in the age of AI
• It’s always the same quantum weirdness
• Why it’s easy to be a quantum huckster
• Quantum progress, quantum hopes, and quantum limits
• Encryption in a quantum empowered world
• Wielding the hammer of interference
• Scientific discovery in a quantum empowered world
• Bureaucracy and blank faces
• Scott as Emperor of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• The Fifth Science; by ****Exurb1a
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams