If related, Have you heard about qubits being able to explain dark energy mystery? What is you view about that?
I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
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Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#72What good is oracle separation? The recent separation between BQP and PH, for example, doesn't seem to mean much. Of course such results may spur the discovery of new proof techniques, or new ways of thinking about a problem, but is the result itself useful? I must be missing something, like a way of stringing together oracle separations to produce a real separation... or is it just the case that oracle separations are considered some kind of suggestive evidence that a real separation exists?
Edit: This post[1] says two classes are equal with no oracle if they are equal with respect to every oracle, but apparently only because "every oracle" includes the null oracle...
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#73What's our best understanding of the process of quantum decoherence? Are there open questions? Problematic engineering issues?
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#74What would you recommend to an amateur wanting to tackle P vs NP in his spare time?
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#75You wrote this: > For example, breaking almost any cryptographic code can be phrased as an NP problem. So if P=NP—and if, moreover, the algorithm that proved it was “practical” (meaning, not n^1000 time or anything silly like that)—then all cryptographic codes that depend on the adversary having limited computing power would be broken. Can you explain this reasoning more precisely? The class P contains difficult prob…
He explicitly says «not n^1000 time or anything silly like that» in the sentence you quote, n^googolplex would be way more silly
my point exactly. The class P contains this silly stuff.
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#76How long until quantum computing can put an end to those bullshit cryptocurrencies?
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#77What would you recommend to an amateur wanting to tackle P vs NP in his spare time?
Algorithms 101
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#78What is your opinion on how advances in QC may advance our understanding of human consciousness? I remember that in your QCSD book you make few remarks about Penrose's microtubules theory, the one that tries addressing two questions about human mind: 1. Are mind processes Turing-computable? 2. If yes, at which level in the brain does the consciousness emerge? Penrose's answers to that (as far as I know) are not gener…
I don't want to prejudice an actual answer here, but it's worth noting Mr Aaronson has produced a fantastic paper, almost uniquely substantive in its field, commenting on several aspects of possible relations between quantum physics and the mind, see https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1438
See also his blog posts on IIT, etc., such as: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1799
Re: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
#79Why is P=NP/P!=NP so difficult to prove?
I just wanted to say that I think your writing helped me appreciate Michael Cohen and learn what an amazing person he was. The more I read about him, the more I want to be like him. What qualities do you think helped him contribute and be such a great person? What do you think a lackluster programmer could do to be more like him?