632nm

Eric Betzig, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and pioneer of super-resolution microscopy, explains how PALM broke the diffraction limit and transformed live-cell imaging. He revisits the surprising dynamics of transcription factors, the risks of relying on fixed samples, and his Cell Observatory project combining automated microscopes with AI. He also reflects on drug discovery, virtual cells, better fluorophores, nuclear power, and the creative spirit of Bell Labs.

Yonatan Cohen, co-founder and CTO of Quantum Machines, builds FPGA-based control systems for scalable quantum computers. He discusses hybrid quantum-classical control, real-time pulse sequencing, and low-latency feedback. He also covers challenges of scaling control hardware, ASICs and cryogenic integration, and why dedicated quantum sequencers are essential for large qubit counts.

Walter Gilbert, Nobel-winning molecular biologist who helped invent early DNA sequencing and co-founded Biogen. He recounts moving from physics to discovering mRNA, the accidental experiment that spawned practical DNA sequencing, the origins of the Human Genome Project and computational biology, the RNA World idea, exon shuffling, building Biogen, and why he later turned to digital abstract art.

Michael Manson, a pioneer in bacterial motility research with a ~50-year career, walks through how tiny rotary motors power bacterial swimming. He covers run-and-tumble chemotaxis, experiments proving proton-driven rotation, stator and rotor mechanics, cryo-EM revelations about motor architecture, and how single molecules flip rotation direction. Brief reflections on evolutionary repurposing and open questions in origins of life.

Mark Saffman, professor at University of Wisconsin–Madison and pioneer of Rydberg-based neutral atom quantum computing. He walks through optical tweezers, Rydberg blockade and how conditional gates and entanglement are implemented. The conversation covers scaling challenges, laser and fidelity limits, atom rearrangement techniques, dual-species approaches for error correction, and the industry growth around neutral-atom hardware.

John Bowers, UC Santa Barbara professor and silicon photonics pioneer known for semiconductor lasers and integrated transceivers. He discusses why optics are solving data-movement bottlenecks in AI, how heterogeneous integration and on-chip lasers enabled scalable photonic products, and advances like co-packaged optics, microcombs, and inverse design reshaping data centers.

Michael Levin, developmental biologist and director at the Allen Discovery Center, explores bioelectric control of anatomy. He discusses voltage patterns, ion channels, and gap junctions as a layer of biological information. Short, vivid stories include two-headed planarians, ectopic eyes, and using electrical signals to encode regenerative outcomes and rescale patterns across tissues.

Are quantum computers changing the way we discover cancer treatments?In this episode, Misha and Yudong spoke with Fred Chong, Seymour Goodman Professor at the University of Chicago, about the future of quantum computer architecture and how quantum algorithms could eventually help solve real-world problems in medicine, optimization, and scientific computing.Chong explains the transition from the NISQ era toward fault-tolerant quantum computing, why hardware-aware software design remains essential, and how compiler architectures, error correction, and quantum system design all interact across the full computing stack. The conversation explores the challenges of building scalable quantum machines, the tradeoffs between superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and neutral atoms, and why many quantum systems may ultimately function as specialized accelerators alongside classical computers.We also discuss quantum optimization algorithms like QAOA and how Chong’s group is applying them to cancer biomarker discovery and treatment prediction. By analyzing complex multimodal biological data, including DNA, mRNA, and pathology imaging, these methods aim to uncover patterns that are difficult for conventional machine learning systems to identify without overfitting.Along the way, Fred shares stories from the early days of supercomputing at Thinking Machines, the origins of his quantum research career, the founding of Super.tech, and his perspective on where quantum computing is genuinely making progress versus where hype still dominates the conversation.Topics include quantum computing, QAOA, fault-tolerant quantum computing, quantum error correction, quantum compilers, NISQ systems, neutral atoms, superconducting qubits, quantum architecture, cancer biomarkers, biomedical optimization, hybrid quantum-classical systems, and the future of quantum software and hardware co-design.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Mikhail Shalaginov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikhail-shalaginov/Yudong Cao: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yudong-cao-25b6a929/Subscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:34 - From Jurassic Park to Quantum Computing10:13 - Modernizing NISQ Research13:45 - Designing Around Quantum Hardware20:30 - Variational Quantum Algorithms23:07 - Quantum Computers for Cancer Research30:35 - How Q4Bio Began37:20 -  Will We Need QEC in the Future?40:25 - What Quantum Computers Can Learn from Classical Architecture43:08 - Would Fred Return to Classical Computing?46:11 - Quantum Software and Quantum Compilers55:19 - Starting Super.tech1:01:43 - Classical Analogs to Quantum Hardware1:12:21 - Advice for Young Scientists1:17:43 - Is AI Impacting Quantum Research?1:22:38 - Importance of Formal Verification1:30:40 - QLDPC Codes1:35:48 - Fred’s Beginnings in Computer Science1:42:48 - Chicago vs Silicon Valley1:46:27 - Do We Need More Quantum Software Companies?1:53:17 - Future of Quantum Computing and Cryptography#quantumcomputing #quantumalgorithms #cancerresearch #computerscience

How do you measure something as small as a single electron or map quantum behavior at the nanoscale?In this episode, Misha spoke with Amir Yacoby, professor at Harvard University, about the cutting edge of quantum sensing and the experimental tools redefining how we probe the quantum world.Yacoby explains how physicists build ultra-sensitive detectors, from single-electron transistors to quantum dots and NV centers in diamond, that can measure charge, spin, and magnetic fields with extraordinary precision. These tools make it possible to study both strongly correlated systems, like those exhibiting the fractional quantum Hall effect, and isolated quantum systems used as qubits.We explore how accidental discoveries in the lab can evolve into entirely new sensing techniques, including momentum-resolved tunneling and nanoscale imaging methods. The conversation also highlights how quantum sensors are enabling researchers to bridge two regimes: complex many-body systems and controllable quantum devices, opening the door to new insights in topological physics and quantum information processing.Whether you're interested in quantum measurement, nanoscale imaging, or the future of quantum technologies, this episode offers a detailed look at how new instruments are driving discovery at the frontiers of physics.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Mikhail Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovMichael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:23 - The Process of Creating Quantum Tools11:28 - Graduate School at Weizmann14:51 - From Aerospace to Condensed Matter26:53 - Starting at Harvard39:44 - Working at Bell Labs47:42 - Diamond NV Centers1:00:52 - Spin Waves1:16:10 - SQUIDs1:29:57 - State of the Art Sensors1:33:08 - Motivations for Building Better Sensors1:36:52 - Fabrication Challenges1:40:14 - New Sensors1:45:49 - Majoranas1:53:25 - Finding New Applications for Sensors1:57:16 - The Use of AI in Physics1:58:55 - Advice for Young Scientists 

Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz and an expert in metasurfaces and nanofabrication, discusses turning flat nanostructured optics into mass-producible sensors. He explains polarization imaging as a new information channel, scaling metasurfaces from lab to fab, and using polarization to make facial recognition more compact and spoof-resistant.