07/28/2024: Quantum Computing, Knife, College of Magic
Jul 29, 2024
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Scott Pelley, an insightful correspondent known for his reporting on cutting-edge technology, explores the groundbreaking world of quantum computing. He visits Google’s quantum lab and IBM’s most advanced computer, discussing how these innovations could transform various fields. The podcast also features Salman Rushdie, who shares his harrowing story of survival after a violent attack and reflects on his new book, 'Knife.' Additionally, Jon Wertheim takes listeners to the College of Magic in Cape Town, showcasing how magic is used to empower students amidst challenges.
Quantum computing is poised to revolutionize industries like healthcare by solving complex biological problems far beyond the capabilities of traditional computers.
Salman Rushdie's reflections on his near-fatal attack highlight the struggle between creativity and personal safety in the face of oppression.
Deep dives
The Emergence of Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to solve complex problems far more quickly than traditional computers. While classical computers rely on transistors that handle binary data, quantum computers utilize qubits that can represent multiple states simultaneously. This exponential increase in processing capability could allow quantum systems to address issues that are currently unsolvable, transforming industries such as healthcare and finance. Major companies, including IBM and Google, are racing to develop operationally efficient quantum computers, with the nation or entity that succeeds likely to dominate the global economy.
The Challenges of Quantum Technology
Building a reliable and functional quantum computer involves overcoming significant technical challenges, particularly in maintaining qubit coherence. Coherence is essential for qubits to effectively collaborate in calculations, yet it tends to break down easily, leading to computational errors. Researchers are currently achieving one error for every hundred steps but aim to improve this ratio to one error per million steps to enhance reliability. Experts predict that while large-scale quantum machines are on the horizon, achieving a fully operational quantum system will require ongoing improvements and integration of existing technologies.
Quantum's Impact on Healthcare
Quantum computing holds enormous promise in reshaping healthcare, particularly in modeling complex biological processes like protein behavior. Current limitations in traditional computational power hinder the understanding of diseases linked to protein misfolding, which affects countless patients, including those with cancer and autoimmune disorders. By simulating these processes more accurately, quantum systems could revolutionize drug discovery and personalized treatment strategies. Collaborations between leading research institutions and healthcare providers are already underway to explore quantum applications in real-world medical scenarios.
The Personal Journey of Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie's life has been profoundly affected by the fatwa issued against him, which labeled him a target for assassination due to his novel ‘The Satanic Verses.’ Despite facing numerous assassination attempts, including a brutal attack in 2022, he reflects on the circumstances with a deeply introspective perspective. Following his recovery, he penned a book detailing his experiences, grappling with themes of survival and the cost of creativity under threat. This journey underscores the intersection of literature, freedom of expression, and the harsh realities faced by artists whose work challenges societal norms.
QUANTUM COMPUTING – Correspondent Scott Pelley reports on the pioneering technology of quantum computing, a new kind of computer that could answer impossible questions in physics, chemistry, engineering and medicine. Pelley travels to California to see Google’s quantum lab, visits one of the first quantum computers outside the lab at Cleveland Clinic and gets a first look at IBM’s newest quantum computer, its most advanced to date. Denise Schrier Cetta and Katie Brennan are the producers.
KNIFE – In his first television interview since he was attacked at a literary festival in Chautauqua, N.Y., almost two years ago, author Salman Rushdie details his experience to correspondent Anderson Cooper. Rushdie, who was stabbed 15 times and lost his right eye, has come to terms with the attack by writing about it in his new book, KNIFE (Penguin, 2024.) He talks to Cooper about Iran’s religious decree – or fatwa – that called for his death 35 years ago, his years in hiding and how he reclaimed his life in the U.S. before he was nearly killed by an assailant wielding a knife. Michael Gavshon and Nadim Roberts are the producers.
COLLEGE OF MAGIC – You can’t wave a wand and make intolerance, poverty and violence disappear, but you can use magic to try. Jon Wertheim visits the College of Magic in Cape Town, South Africa, where students learn sleight of hand, juggling, ventriloquism and card tricks. But what the school really teaches is also the great superpower of magic itself: rethinking the limits of possibility. Michael Gavshon and Nadim Roberts are the producers.