Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 99 | Scott Aaronson on Complexity, Computation, and Quantum Gravity
Jun 1, 2020
Scott Aaronson, a leading expert in quantum computing from the University of Texas at Austin, dives deep into the captivating world of computational complexity and the famous P vs NP problem. He explores the blurred lines between human creativity and machine intelligence, shedding light on Turing's contributions. The conversation unfolds with exciting insights into the transformative power of quantum computers and their implications for black holes. Wrapping up, they touch on the profound topics of free will and consciousness, leaving listeners eager for more.
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Creativity vs. Algorithms
- Creativity is doing things a mechanical, fully understood algorithm can't.
- Human mathematicians, unlike algorithms, aren't guaranteed to be correct.
Computational Complexity as Science
- Treat computational complexity like empirical science, expecting surprises.
- Even unproven assumptions can be reliable based on current knowledge.
Defining NP Problems
- NP problems are verifiable in polynomial time if the answer is 'yes'.
- P (polynomial time) problems are a subset of NP problems.
