Shall. We. Play. A. Game?

Greetings, Professor Falken.

Imagine, for a moment, that there are so many educational games for quantum computing that three of them are mentioned in just one newsletter. One is brand spanking new, one is new on Android, and one’s just a timeless classic, so I mentioned it with the others. Well, it’s reality, folks. Let’s play….

The Qubit Factory

Following in the digital footsteps of such classics as Quantum Flytrap’s Virtual Lab and Quarks Interactive’s Quantum Odyssey, this novel game introduces another gamification of quantum computing education. One interesting differentiator is the emphasis on understanding classical computing to understand quantum computing.

Set Physics to Stun

Referencing Star Trek is just about guaranteed to get you included in this newsletter. In this blog post, QuEra’s Dr. Lopes takes a short Q&A with his colleague, Dr. Wang, and wraps it in excitement. You know what else is exciting? Listening to either of these two scientists talk about neutral atom quantum computing.

     Hydrogen: "I lost my electron."
     Helium: "Are you sure?"
     Hydrogen: "Yes, I'm positive."

I won’t quit my day job.

I decided to reshare above one of my favorite all-time jokes. At least it’s relevant since ion trap quantum computers commonly use positively-charged ions. But this one is all I’ve got. If I ever decide to share another joke in this newsletter, it will probably be something my kids told their grandparents. You’ve been forewarned.

QURECA’s June News Update!

Maybe it’s the exclamation points again, maybe it’s the adjectives, or maybe it’s some combination of both, but the author of this newsletter comes across as genuinely enthusiastic about the news it contains. And characterizing quantum science as “awesomeness” is poetry in my book. This link might require a LinkedIn account.

Gamified Quantum Literacy

Quarks Interactive announced that they were getting ready to launch Quantum Odyssey: Essentials for Android… and then they launched it! It features 12+ hours of content, 250+ visual problems, and the opportunity to challenge other players. I’m literally installing it as I type this….

How many cat qubits will you need?

Alice & Bob’s graphical depiction of using Microsoft’s Quantum Resource Estimator is both imaginative and succinct. I’m predicting that their marketing team is going to enjoy comparing their resource estimates to those of Microsoft’s other presets. This link might require a LinkedIn account.

When is quantum computing coming?

Mark McGuire’s writing, at least in this particular article, seems stylistically similar to my own. So, if you like my writing style — a non-zero probability since you’re reading one of my newsletters — you might also enjoy Mr. McGuire’s writing. This link might require a Medium account.

It’s a hockey puck!

The Quokka quantum computer emulator isn’t new this week, but what got my attention was this article’s comparison of it to the Amazon Echo Dot puck, whatever that is. And then it finally hit me: a Canadian — Prof. Chris Ferrie — designed a hockey puck. Of course he did. Everything makes sense in the world again.

Rendering Laughter

If you watch the video above, you can hear Mr. Benally thoroughly enjoying the process of rendering a superconducting quantum computer chip. I don’t typically watch this kind of content, but I just liked and subscribed to his channel. I want to see what else he makes look interesting.

International Day of Yoga

I have never seen in a work environment before what Vescent has got going on in their laboratory. I have seen a Human Resources Manager hop across the tops of desks like a bunny, but the “thumping” worked with gravity, not against it. This link might require a LinkedIn account.

Pretty in Pink

When a customer wonders aloud what your cryogenic system might look like if it were colored pink, and then you surprise your customer with a pink-colored system, you earn some real estate in this newsletter. Well played, Oxford Instruments. Well played. This link might require a LinkedIn account.

The History of Games for Quantum Computers

This article isn’t new, not by a long shot, but I mentioned games a few times in this newsletter, so here’s the history of quantum gaming by the ultimate authority on the subject, the undisputed Dungeon Master of Quantum Computing, Dr. James Wootton. This link might require a Medium account.