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Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, August 25, 2009 –
If you are curious about the potential of quantum computing, you
will want to keep your eye on “Harnessing Quantum Physics”. This is
one of many panel discussions coming your way as part of the Quantum
to Cosmos Festival, running on-site, online and on TV from October
15-25, 2009.
Compared with our everyday experience, the quantum world – the world
of the very small, of atoms and elementary particles – is incredibly
bizarre. For example, it is possible for a single particle to behave
as if it were in more than one place at the same time. Also, our
notion of what is separate and what is not breaks down in the
quantum world: particles could be kilometers apart and still, in
some respects, act like a single entity.
As strange as it may be, there is little question that this is how
the quantum world works, as hundreds of experiments and many highly
successful technological applications have shown: for example, the
transistor (the basis of most of our current computing technology),
the laser (the basis of today’s fiber optic communication networks
and many other technologies), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
devices crucial to modern medicine, SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum
Interference Devices) used to search for new oil deposits or scan
magnetic activity in the brain, and many more.
Currently, physicists are working on yet another quantum
application. Their goal is to harness quantum weirdness to develop
new technologies that will take us from the information age into the
quantum information age. This panel of experts will explain the
strange features of the quantum world that are the basis for new
technologies such as quantum cryptography and quantum computing, and
will explore the insights in quantum physics that are making this
possible.
The lively Q2C panel will be moderated by PI and UW’s Michele Mosca
and includes an international roster of quantum computing experts.
Moderator: Michele Mosca
Physicist, Perimeter Institute and Deputy Director, Institute for
Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo
Dr. Mosca is co-founder and Deputy Director of IQC and an Associate
Faculty member at Perimeter Institute. His principal research
concerns the design of quantum algorithms, and he is known for his
early work on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).
Panellist: Ignacio Cirac
Physicist, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Dr. Cirac is Director of the Theory Division of the Max Planck
Institute of Quantum Optics. He is a leading quantum information
theorist whose research aims to characterize quantum phenomena and
to develop a new theory of quantum information - work which may
ultimately contribute to the development of quantum computers.
(next column)
29/08/2009 09:44 PM
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Panellist: Daniel Gottesman
Physicist, Perimeter Institute
Dr. Gottesman has spent over 10 years working in the field
of quantum information and is widely regarded as a world
expert on techniques for preventing errors in quantum
computing. A former student of John Preskill, he has worked
at Los Alamos, Microsoft Research, and UC Berkeley.
Panellist: Avi Wigderson
Computer Scientist, Institute for Advanced Study
Dr. Wigderson is a Professor at the School of Mathematics, Institute for
Advanced Study, Princeton. His research interests include randomness and
computation, quantum computation and communication, and cryptography. He
is the recipient of many awards, including the Nevanlinna Prize.
This is only one of over 50 thought-provoking events coming your way in
October! The full program of events, showing speakers, topics, dates and
ticketing details will be released later this month. To avoid missing
out on this and other announcements go to www.q2cfestival.com to join
our online community and sign up for regular email updates.
About the Quantum to Cosmos Festival
For 10 exciting days this October, Perimeter Institute’s Quantum to
Cosmos: Ideas for the Future (Q2C) will take a global audience from the
strange world of subatomic particles to the outer frontiers of the
universe. Q2C will transcend traditional festivals by streaming events
live and on demand, offering virtual interaction with exhibits, and
providing special opportunities for students and teachers. TVO,
Ontario’s public educational media organization, is the Presenting Media
Partner for the Q2C Festival.
The Q2C Festival is produced for Perimeter Institute by Title
Entertainment Inc.
About Perimeter Institute
Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent,
non-profit, scientific research and educational outreach organization
where international scientists cluster to push the limits of our
understanding of physical laws and develop new ideas about the very
essence of space, time, matter and information. The centre provides a
multi-disciplinary environment to foster scientific collaboration in
research areas of cosmology, particle physics, quantum foundations,
quantum gravity, quantum information, superstring theory, and related
disciplines. PI also provides a wide array of award-winning outreach
resources and public lectures for students, teachers and the general
public to share the joy of research, discovery and innovation. In
partnership with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, PI continues to
be a successful example of private and public collaboration in science
research and education.
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