Atoms Might Be the Best Qubits for Quantum Computers

Plus: Brains stay in sync with no strings attached; Flocking on "The Joy of Why"; Complexity and comedy with Russell Impagliazzo; Polling place math

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser QUANTUM COMPUTING | ALL TOPICS   The Best Qubits for Quantum Computing Might Just Be Atoms By PHILIP BALL In the search for the most scalable hardware to use for quantum computers, qubits made of individual atoms are having a breakout moment. Read the article NEUROSCIENCE   The Social Benefits of Getting Our Brains in Sync By MARTA ZARASKA Our brain waves can align when we work and play closely together. The phenomenon, known as interbrain synchrony, suggests that collaboration is biological. Read the article Related:  How Do Fireflies Flash in Sync? Studies Suggest a New Answer. By Joshua Sokol (2022) THE JOY OF WHY   How Is Flocking Like Computing? Podcast hosted by STEVEN STROGATZ Birds flock. Locusts swarm. Fish school. From chaotic assemblies of life, order somehow emerges. In this episode, co-host Steven Strogatz interviews the evolutionary ecologist Iain Couzin about how and why collective behaviors arise. Listen to the podcast Read the transcript   Q&A   The Researcher Who Explores Computation by Conjuring New Worlds By BEN BRUBAKER; Video by CHRISTOPHER WEBB YOUNG Russell Impagliazzo studies hard problems, the limits of cryptography, the nature of randomness and more. Read the interview Watch the video APPLIED MATH   Topologists Tackle the Trouble With Poll Placement By LYNDIE CHIOU Mathematicians are using topological abstractions to find places where it's hard to vote. Read the blog Related:  How Math Has Changed the Shape of Gerrymandering By Michael Orcutt (2023) Follow Quanta Unsubscribe | About Quanta | My Bookmarks Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2024 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010