In which I lose faith in quantum computing

Quantum computing is one of the most anticipated new technologies on the horizon, with many quantum computing firms earning themselves billion-dollar valuations. In today’s video I explain why I strongly doubt that the technology will ever have a sensible return on investment.

Why People Aren’t Having Kids & How To Fix It

People in Western countries are having fewer kids, making politicians worried about the future of their nations’ populations. Let’s take a look at how bad the problem is, what governments are doing to fix it, and why it’s happening.

DNA Data Storage 5 Years Away, New Report Says

DNA is more than just a cool little shape that stores genetic information inside your cells. It’s actually a remarkably useful molecule which researchers are trying to use for a wide variety of mind-blowing applications – these include storing data, building neural networks, and creating materials for specific applications. Let’s have a look at the future of DNA innovations.

This New Time Crystal is Visible

Normal crystals have their structures repeat across space, while time crystals also have their structures repeat across time. This new phenomenon has attracted a lot of attention among physicists in the past decade. In a new study, material scientists report they have created liquid time crystals, opening up new possibilities for practical applications of the fascinating phenomenon. Let’s take a look.

Did Graphene Just Break A Fundamental Law?

Graphene is a sort of miracle material which is exceptionally strong and conducts electricity and heat better than most other materials. In a new study, physicists claim that a super-cleaned version of graphene breaks a fundamental law of nature and could even be used to somehow study black holes. Sounds intriguing, let’s take a look.

Quantum Computers Could Test Free Will, Researchers Claim

In quantum physics, the idea that observed correlations between particles come from the way that the measurement device affects the particles is called a violation of “Measurement Independence” or “Superdeterminism.” The authors of a new paper claim that the more complicated one makes an experiment, the larger the violation of measurement independence must be to explain observations. They conclude that quantum computers can test free will. Wait what? I’ve had a look at the paper.

Researchers Warn of “Musk Illusion” That Brain Can be Sped Up

These days, if you have internet speeds that run in the kilobits per second range, accessing most things online is probably painfully slow. But according to new research by biologists from Caltech, human brains run at just a fraction of those speeds – they estimate that we process information at just 10 bits per second. They warn of the “Musk Illusion” that new technology could speed up our thinking and say it won’t happen. Let’s find out.

This “Naked” Black Hole Shouldn’t Exist

The James Webb telescope has detected a series of black holes with features that are only compatible with black holes that are much, much older than should be possible. This discovery is supposedly a “paradigm change” for cosmology, that “upends all theories” and “changes everything.” Are those claims actually true? Let’s take a look.

I can't believe this really happened.

I'm left somewhat speechless here.

Physicists found a Dark Matter Clump near us!

Dark matter is everywhere around us, but the stuff isn’t distributed evenly across our universe – instead, it clumps together in and around galaxies. Even within galaxies, it should form dense “subhalos,” which are clumps of higher density. In a new study, physicists say they detected one such clump just 3,000 lightyears away from our Milky Way. Amazing if true. Let’s take a look.

5 Signs the AI Bubble is about to Burst

10 Quantum Myths, Debunked

I recently made a video about 10 physics myths, and a lot of you asked that I do another one about quantum myths in particular. Let’s take a look.

How the Planets Protect us From the Sun

A group of physicists say they have figured out why our Sun does not have superflares, like other stars of its type. It’s not that we have just been lucky so far. They say it’s because our solar system’s planets protect us. And that idea, they say, also explains the Sun’s 11 year cycle. Let’s take a look.

Why is the Universe so Big? These physicists say they know

Our universe started with an incredibly rapid phase of expansion, growing exponentially before that expansion eventually slowed down. This idea is called “inflation,” but physicists are still unsure what caused the rapid expansion and why it stopped. In a new paper, researchers say they’ve come up with an elegant new explanation for that inflation. Let’s take a look.

Did These Physicists Just Prove True Randomness?

A group of physicists claim they have proof that true randomness exists. This has implications for encryption protocols and computing, but (if true) would also indicate that the past does not determine the present. But are their findings actually legitimate? Let’s find out.

What Happens If AI Abundance Actually Arrives?

One of the key questions for predicting the impact of Artificial Intelligence is whether we will see a “slow takeoff” or a “fast takeoff”. In today’s video I have a look at what various forecasts say and why and what that might mean for the idea of “post scarcity” or “abundance economy”.

There’s Another Way to See Reality. It’s Just as True.

Can two different theories of physics both accurately explain the same phenomenon? The answer in some cases is yes. In physics, this is called a duality, and it raises the question of why we choose one theory over another. What even is reality if we can use multiple different theories to describe it? Let’s take a look.

Causal Order Doesn’t Work, Physicists Find. Now what?

To us normal people, cause and effect are linked together in a distinct order. The cause occurs first, and the effect follows after. But according to a new paper, that causal order breaks down if you apply quantum mechanics to gravity. Join me in my quest to wrap my head around this head-spinning (but also plausible) paper.

The Hidden Link Between Time, Space, and Mass

Units make the difference between maths and reality, between platonic ideals and physical quantities. But what are units, really? This is one of the most underrated questions in the foundations of physics – let’s take a look.

Crazy New Developments In Nuclear Battery Tech

Nuclear batteries – which deliver energy from radioactivity – have seen some massive technological improvements over the past few years. Startups are shifting to larger devices that can output more power safely, thereby dramatically increasing the possible applications. Let’s take a look at how nuclear battery tech is improving and where it might go in the future.