Brian Beckman: Project Quark - A New Beginning for Quantum Computing Rises from the Ashes of Theoret

Posted By: Charles | Apr 1st @ 10:58 AM

Software Architect and Astrophysicist Brian Beckman has a new job at Microsoft. No longer working with Erik Meijer on cutting edge developer tools and programming languages, Brian has joined a very small team of distinguished engineers and technical fellows that seeks to create a new product for Microsoft, code named Quark.

Brian and his big brained colleagues have produced a prototype quantum computing device that takes the notion of parallel computation to a whole new level... The really interesting thing here is that Brian has determined that theoretical phyiscs has completed. What does that mean, you ask? Well, only Dr. Beckman can explain it in terms that everybody will be able to comprehend.

Tune in. This is very big news. Computing will never be the same thanks to Brian and his colleagues working in the newly formed (and apt-named!) Quantum Unreality Computation Group.

Enjoy.

Low res file here.

Tags: Computing, Quantum Computing

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vulcandeathgrip

Oh, what a masterfully woven frock of deception -- you guys had this emperor wearing it all the way down town!

Lead through the sublime history of physics from Newton to Einstein to some guy named Garrett Lisi (who could be the next Einstein) -- even blending in Rubic's cube and the monoids for added texture -- then over the edge of absurdity. Before I could realise what was happening I was being told to look down -- while you switched the gravity back on!

I always suspected you guys at Microsoft were evil geniuses, but this proves it! I'm coming up with a plan to get you for this, just as soon as I stop laughing.

Happy April 1 to you too,
Darryl

dolear

Fascinating video, but when he says the code name is April Fool, does that mean this is all a joke? I want there to be a prototype quantum computer at Microsoft involving a tank of supercooled trichloroethylene! Please tell me it's real!

ivan_

o boy, I wasted 30 minutes on this... I almost loaded up with MS shares Smiley

finding the unifying point for all 4 kinds of forces, that would be really cool, too bad it was a joke. Sad

Many people are waiting for it.

jl235

So was none of it true at all, or just the bit at the end about the Microsoft project?

vulcandeathgrip

I know what you mean, dolear. I want one too! It's really funny watching this a second time, knowing the punch line. The two of them are totally deadpan up until the very end, when you can notice them both breaking up.

What makes this so great is that the first twenty minutes is a really excellent summary of quantum physics, electrodynamics and relativity. And Garrett Lisi really exists, and that part is really exciting! So even though its a joke, you're getting something out of it.

-- still a pretty cruel joke though, guys Wink

littleguru
allein, allein,... allein, allein!

Lovely!!! Hahaha!

esoteric
IExplode.exe no more

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/5414/skywalkerin128409476204wl4.jpg

I find your lack of faith disturbing...

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

Gotta love you guys managed to keep this going for half an hour. Tongue Out

KevinB

Yeah, the 30 minutes was an achievement, but I must admit this stretched my April Fool's good humour to the limit, 30 minutes of listening to the WMA and then it is an April Fool's. Funny, which is why I didn't do the first post warning others it was an April Fool's, but just a little too long and too much time wasted for comfort...