IAmA
r/IAmA
Happy World Quantum Day! We are a group of quantum science researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD), and we’re back again this year to answer more of your burning quantum queries. Ask us anything!
World Quantum Day promotes the public understanding of quantum science and technology. At UMD, hundreds of faculty members, postdocs, and students are working on a variety of quantum research topics, from quantum computing and quantum algorithms to quantum many-body physics and the technology behind new quantum sensors. Feel free to ask us about research, academic life, career tips, and anything else you think we might know!
For more information about all the quantum research happening at UMD, check out the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS), the Condensed Matter Theory Center (CMTC), the Quantum Materials Center (QMC), the Quantum Technology Center (QTC), the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS), and the Maryland Quantum Thermodynamics Hub.
Our schedule for the day is (in EDT):
10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Alan Migdall (experimental quantum optics, JQI) and Jay Sau (theoretical many-body physics, CMTC, JQI)
12-1 p.m.: Lunch 😊
1-3 p.m.: Charles Clark (theoretical atomic, molecular, and optical physics, JQI), Nathan Schine (experimental quantum simulation and information with atoms and optics, JQI, RQS), and Alicia Kollár (experimental quantum simulation and information with optical waveguides, graph theory, JQI, RQS)
3-5ish: UMD graduate student and postdoc takeover
For a beginner-friendly intro to the quantum world, check out The Quantum Atlas.
And, check out today's iAMA by Princeton professor Andrew Houck, a physicist known for developing superconducting qubits and studying quantum systems.
**WE ARE DONE! Thanks everyone for all the great questions.**
Hello, Reddit! It’s World Quantum Day. I am an engineering professor at Princeton University who studies and builds quantum information devices. What does that mean?
In science, we used to say that quantum mechanics was the physics of atoms and molecules, because that’s the realm where it was first discovered and where its effects are most pronounced.
All of that is changing now.
Beyond the hype around a “second quantum revolution” lies an enormous effort by engineers, physicists, chemists and computer scientists to create fundamentally new applications in computing, communications and sensing. And together we are harnessing quantum mechanics into larger and larger systems — actual technologies — to solve some of the world’s most complex problems.
What do you want to know?
I'll be answering questions at r/IAmA from 1:30pm – 2:30pm ET. You can find out more about my work through my website or at Princeton Engineering. Here's my proof!
I spent years sleeping underneath Lemmy from Motorhead… on a tour bus. I feuded with the members of Black Sabbath, tripped mushrooms on stage with Hawkwind, faced down the Hells Angels and escalated band prank wars. I threw Madonna off stage, turned down an invite from Nelson Mandela (big regret), and dealt with the aftermath of Chumbawamba drenching John Prescott.
Through hard drinking and hard times, I worked hard, refusing to conform to others’ expectations. You maybe have some expectations yourself, hearing ‘Kim Hawes, tour manager’ – let me know if my picture matches them! I blazed a trail through the male-dominated music industry, carving out a place for women in a largely man’s world, taking no crap and no prisoners while getting results other tour managers only dreamed of.
This is your chance to ask about antics on the road, the nitty gritty of the music business from selling merch to taking care of the money and hear fresh stories about the famous names you think you know. Or ask me about the writing and publishing process of my new book, Lipstick and Leather! Can’t wait to hear what you’ve got for me, Ask Me Anything!
EDIT: so many great questions guys, thanks for being here with me this evening! I've answered as many as I can for now but if you want to keep sending them in, I'll try and drop back in a couple of days and answer a few more. If you can't wait that long, the book is out now ;) It's been fun!
Proof: Here's my proof!
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