Programming The Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes On the Cosmos.PROGRAMMING THE UNIVERSE: A Quantum Computer scientist Takes On the Cosmos SETH LLOYD The universe is a quantum computer. Every atom and particle of everything, be it a star or a DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. segment, is a bit of information that is being processed. Lloyd, a professor of quantum mechanical engineering, posits this unique theory about the physical world. In clear language, he describes information processing, starting with how strings of 0s and 1s can encode any amount of information. Small, simple operations build into complicated ones on the scale of the entire universe. After a primer on quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is and physical laws, Lloyd explains the history of the universe from the Big Bang big bang Model of the origin of the universe, which holds that it emerged from a state of extremely high temperature and density in an explosive expansion 10 billion–15 billion years ago. to its current state. In doing so, he demonstrates how the laws of physics can be used to perform quantum computations. Lloyd presents for the layperson lay·per·son n. A layman or a laywoman. Noun 1. layperson - someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person layman, secular a new way to conceive of the origin and nature of the universe Knopf, 2006, 240 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $25.95. |
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