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Mithuna Yoganathan: Quantum Immortality and Self-Study in Physics
Episode 49

Mithuna Yoganathan: Quantum Immortality and Self-Study in Physics

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ct0zv_M-I Mithuna Yoganathan is a quantum physicist who specializes in quantum computing, and runs the successful YouTube channel Looking Glass Universe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk__1iexL3T5gvGcMpeHNA). This podcast serves as a general introduction to quantum foundations and computing for undergraduates and bright autodidacts. Link to Peter Gray video mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQLkKKERWsI Patreon for conversations on Theories of Everything, Consciousness, Free Will, and God: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Help support conversations like this via PayPal: https://bit.ly/2EOR0M4 Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Id3k7k7mfzahfx2fjqmw3vufb44 iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Discord Invite Code (as of Mar 04 2021): dmGgQ2dRzS Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:26 What's it like running a 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel? 00:02:56 Using "explanation to others" as a self-learning tool 00:05:27 How do you learn new physics / mathematics? 00:06:22 On feeling like math / physics isn't within your ability to grasp 00:08:29 Is math necessary for understanding physics 00:09:23 Daily schedule / routine 00:12:50 Dealing with people emailing theories 00:15:28 Fat-shattering dimensions 00:17:01 What's the Pauli group's relation to the Clifford group? 00:19:44 How do you prove that a quantum algorithm is efficiently simulable classically 00:22:58 Gottesman-Knill theorem (and its extension, proved by Mithuna) 00:25:41 What's responsible for the "speedup" in Quantum Computing? 00:29:24 Which of her thesis results is the most significant? (on quantum complexity and clean Qubits) 00:37:27 Magic state distillation 00:38:34 Gödel's incompleteness, with quantum logic 00:40:41 Halting problem 00:41:10 Quantum Computers vs Probabilistic Turing Machines 00:42:17 P = NP 00:44:41 Richard Borcherd's comments on Quantum Computers not being "better" than classical (generically) 00:47:05 Quantum Contextuality 00:52:29 Quantum decoherence and why it doesn't solve the measurement problem 00:56:26 On the Many Worlds Interpretation 00:58:45 Quantum Immortality 01:03:19 Is space / time discrete and what would the implications of this be for QC? 01:04:42 Wolfram's "principle of computational equivalence" 01:05:32 Bohemian Pilot wave theory 01:09:28 Are the laws of physics ultimately beautiful and simple? 01:10:31 Audience Q: Thoughts on QBism?

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal · Theories of Everything

March 11, 20211h 44m

Show Notes

Mithuna Yoganathan explains quantum immortality theory and reveals the Gottesman-Knill theorem's implications She also shares how she runs a 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel, learning strategies, and deep theoretical debates such as the Gottesman‑Knill theorem and the source of quantum speedup.

- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:02:26 - What's it like running a 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel?
- 00:02:56 - Using "explanation to others" as a self‑learning tool
- 00:05:27 - How do you learn new physics / mathematics?
- 00:06:22 - On feeling like math / physics isn't within your ability to grasp
- 00:08:29 - Is math necessary for understanding physics
- 00:09:23 - Daily schedule / routine
- 00:12:50 - Dealing with people emailing theories
- 00:15:28 - Fat‑shattering dimensions
- 00:17:01 - What's the Pauli group's relation to the Clifford group?
- 00:19:44 - How do you prove that a quantum algorithm is efficiently simulable classically
- 00:22:58 - Gottesman‑Knill theorem (and its extension, proved by Mithuna)
- 00:25:41 - What's responsible for the "speedup" in Quantum Computing?
- 00:29:24 - Which of her thesis results is the most significant? (on quantum complexity and clean Qubits)
- 00:37:27 - Magic state distillation
- 00:38:34 - Gödel's incompleteness, with quantum logic
- 00:40:41 - Halting problem
- 00:41:10 - Quantum Computers vs Probabilistic Turing Machines
- 00:42:17 - P = NP
- 00:44:41 - Richard Borcherd's comments on Quantum Computers not being "better" than classical (generically)
- 00:47:05 - Quantum Contextuality
- 00:52:29 - Quantum decoherence and why it doesn't solve the measurement problem
- 00:56:26 - On the Many Worlds Interpretation
- 00:58:45 - Quantum Immortality
- 01:03:19 - Is space / time discrete and what would the implications of this be for QC?
- 01:04:42 - Wolfram's "principle of computational equivalence"
- 01:05:32 - Bohemian Pilot wave theory
- 01:09:28 - Are the laws of physics ultimately beautiful and simple?
- 01:10:31 - Audience Q: Thoughts on QBism?

SPONSORS:

- Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal
- PayPal: https://bit.ly/2EOR0M4
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt
- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802
- Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e
- Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Id3k7k7mfzahfx2fjqmw3vufb44
- Discord Invite Code (as of Mar 04 2021): dmGgQ2dRzS
- Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything

RESOURCES:

- YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ct0zv_M-I
- Looking Glass Universe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk__1iexL3T5gvGcMpeHNA
- Link to Peter Gray video mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQLkKKERWsI

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.

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