Learn about qubits and quantum entanglement with some help from Chris Bernhardt, author of the new book “Quantum Computing for Everyone.” Plus, learn about 6 magic words for defusing conflict. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about six words that are the key to defusing conflict: https://curiosity.im/2I491Wi Get your copy of “Quantum Computing for Everyone” on Amazon: https://amazon.com If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn about qubits and quantum entanglement with some help from Chris Bernhardt, author of the new book “Quantum Computing for Everyone.” Plus, learn about 6 magic words for defusing conflict.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about six words that are the key to defusing conflict: https://curiosity.im/2I491Wi
Get your copy of “Quantum Computing for Everyone” on Amazon: https://amazon.com
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/quantum-computing-101-qubits-and-entanglement-w-professor-chris-bernhardt
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about 6 magic words for defusing conflict. But first, you’ll learn about the basics of quantum computers, with some help from Chris Bernhardt, author of the new book “Quantum Computing for Everyone.”
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Chris Bernhardt / Quantum Computing Segment 1 — Qbits and Entanglement 101 (Both)
CODY: Today we’re gonna help you understand quantum computing in the first half of a 2-part series we’re calling “Quantum Wednesdays.” I know that probably sounds super complicated, but I promise, it’s really not. In fact, you can get a pretty good understanding of quantum computers by understanding two key concepts: qbits, and entanglement. To help you understand those, we spoke with Chris Bernhardt, a professor of mathematics at Fairfield University and author of the new book “Quantum Computing for Everyone.” So buckle up, because it’s time to demystify qbits and entanglement.
[CLIP 1:30]
CODY: Professor Bernhardt told us that that skepticism disappeared in the 1990s. That’s when Peter Shore showed that you could use a quantum computer to break standard cryptography, meaning all our commercial activity could be at risk of being broken. Fortunately, the technology isn’t quite advanced enough to do that, AND people are designing new ways of encrypting data that can withstand attacks from quantum computers. So don’t worry about all your encrypted data getting hacked just yet.
ASHLEY: Okay, so a qbit is a bit that’s in a superposition of both up and down until you measure it. Got it? Now let’s talk about entanglement, which is the second concept you need to understand. Entanglement is when you can create a relationship between two bits, so that if you measure one, then you know the state of the other. Here’s more on entanglement.
[CLIP 3:12]
CODY: Einstein wasn’t right about everything, and that includes quantum entanglement. In the 1960s, a physicist named John Stewart Bell designed an experiment to test the theory of quantum entanglement. It’s called Bell's inequality experiment, or a Bell Test, and you can read more about THAT experiment on curiosity-dot-com, with links in today’s show notes.
ASHLEY: Entanglement is tricky, but hopefully this primer on qbits and entanglement was helpful. You can dig in deeper with the book “Quantum Computing for Everyone,” by Chris Bernhardt. He’ll be back next week to talk about what’s next for quantum computers, and we’ll include a link to his book in today’s show notes.
[NHTSA]
CODY: Today’s episode is paid for by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA (nit-suh) is working hard to combat texting while driving.
ASHLEY: Texting and driving isn’t just a dangerous problem, it’s deadly. And if you drive while distracted, you’re THREE TIMES more likely to crash. But far too many people still don’t recognize the dangers. Did you know that when you send or receive a text, you take your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds? And at 55 miles per hour, that’s like driving more than the length of a football field — with your eyes closed.
CODY: Between 2012 and 2017, nearly 20,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted
Driver. And if your own safety isn’t enough reason to stop driving while distracted, here’s another one. It’s also illegal. That’s why cops are writing tickets to anyone caught texting while driving. And they’re doing it to save lives. So remember, if you text while driving, you WILL get caught. U Drive. U Text. U Pay.
These Six Words Are the Key to Defusing Conflict — https://curiosity.im/2I491Wi (Ashley)
ASHLEY: Today we’ll wrap up with a trick for clearing up a misunderstanding. It just takes six words. Ready? Here goes: start a sentence with the phrase “the story I’m making up is…” and then go from there. This trick comes from research Professor Brené Brown, who has one of the most-viewed TED Talks of all time. And this phrase helps you find the truth in a situation. Let’s say you get home and your partner says “hey, we’re out of groceries.” You might feel upset because you turned that comment into a whole story — one that says your partner is blaming you for not having groceries, that you were screwing up. But maybe your partner was just hungry, and letting you know you didn’t have groceries. When you have the presence of mind to say that magic phrase, “the story I’m making up is…” you’re admitting to yourself that, first off, you did make up a story. And at the same time, you make yourself vulnerable to the other person. You’re showing them your unpleasant emotions so that person can let their guard down, too. And that’s the first step towards finding a resolution. To deal with the stories in your head, Brown suggests asking yourself a few questions: What are the facts, and what are my assumptions? What do I need to know about the others involved? And: What am I really feeling? What part did I play? Asking yourself these questions could lead to some startling discoveries. So the next time you feel miffed by a loved one or get riled up by a coworker, start your next sentence with these six words: "The story I'm making up is..." — and see where it leads BOTH of you.
CODY: Read about today’s stories and more on curiosity-dot-com!
ASHLEY: Join us again tomorrow for the award-winning Curiosity Daily and learn something new in just a few minutes. I’m [NAME] and I’m [NAME]. Stay curious!