TEDxCaltech - Scott Aaronson - Physics in the 21st Century: Toiling in Feynman's Shadow

Scott Aaronson is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. Scott's research interests center around fundamental limits on what can efficiently be computed in the physical world. This has entailed studying quantum computing, the most powerful model of computation we have, based on known physical theory. He also writes a popular blog, http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog , and is the creator of the Complexity Zoo, http://qwiki.stanford.edu/index.php/C... , an online encyclopedia of computational complexity theory.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

On January 14, 2011, Caltech hosted TEDxCaltech, an exciting one-day event to honor Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate, Caltech physics professor, iconoclast, visionary, and all-around "curious character." Visit TEDxCaltech.com for more details.

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  Science & Technology

[PhysicsMathMan]

Feel free to mock his shuffle or his bad public speaking. People like him are at the very heart of the computer in which you are using to listen to him right now.

So please reconsider your irreverence

[jonkam10]

smart and funny, maybe sometimes awkward, but if all humans were that clever earth would be a better place :)

[robvicious]

this guy might be the pinnacle of geekness, still that's a great speech

[quantumburrito]

Scott Aaronson is one of the cleverest persons on the planet.

[Vince Coakley]

I stumbled on this video, fantastic! The Rodney Dangerfield of physics, this guy can do nothing but good for his field.

[Jonathan Simon]

I always love listening to Scott Aaronsen lecture. So much giddy enthusiasm. :)

[ParagonProtege]

Scott Aaronson is a badass!

[Kyargh]

I actually dig his pulsating head bob.

[tbid18]

Also, the traveling salesman problem was never thought to be impossible; it's NP-Hard (complete for the decision version), but that doesn't mean impossible, just that there are no known algorithms that solve it in polynomial time. This has been known for decades.

[tbid18]

I never said it was impossible, just that quantum computers aren't believed to be able to solve NP-Complete problems in polynomial time if P =/= NP. "Nothing is impossible" is a nice motto, but it's not always true. For instance, there are problems that known to be impossible to solve in all instances by any algorithm (e.g., the halting problem).