Quantum Computing

Silicon Valley is awash in hype about quantum computers. But these new machines—which perform calculations not only with bits (ones and zeros) but also with mysterious things called qubits—are still in their infancy. They are very large, very expensive, and must be kept very cold. Their applications are limited, and it will be likely a decade before they can be put to practical use. Tom Simonite, WIRED’s reporter who covers the esoteric end of computing, joins the show to explain what quantum computing is, how it works, and why it’s going to change our future. And we’re pretty sure we understand it now. Kinda.
Some notes: Read Tom’s WIRED Guide on quantum computing.
Recommendations this week: Philips Wake-Up Light for a different way to start the day. Read Motherboard‘s investigative piece on Facebook, and turn on Android’s “swipe up on home button” gesture.
Send the hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes is @pardesoteric, Tom Simonite is @tsimonite, and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys.
How to Listen
You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:
If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.
If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Play Music app just by tapping here. You can also download an app like Pocket Casts or Radio Public, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.
We’re also on Soundcloud, and every episode gets posted to wired.com as soon as it’s released. If you still can’t figure it out, or there’s another platform you use that we’re not on, let us know.