Simon Singh: the Code book

I have just bought Simon Singh's "the code book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking".  This was recommended to me on a Youtube video about Alan Turing and the breaking of the Nazi Enigma codes.

Quantum mechanics: the theoretical minimum

I started my next Amazon kindle book and its back to quantum mechanics with "Quantum mechanics: the theoretical minimum". I am on the first chapter and he is already talking about "qubits", should be very interesting.

Finally finished reading Quantum computing for cats

Yesterday I have finally finished John Gribbin's 'Quantum computing for cats'. A very good book if you want to know the history of computing and indeed about quantum physics itself, unfortunately the quantum computing was only found in the last chapter.  He mentioned the various experimental techniques now used to create these quantum computers such as ions, nuclear magnetic resonance and even using photons.  I think the technology is still too new to merit any more content, and I will give this 6/10.

Finished Quantum: a guide for the perplexed

Yesterday, I finished reading 'Quantum: a guide for the perplexed' by Jim Al-Khalili. It is aimed at those without a physics background, more so than Gribbin's Quantum Cats book.  There were items which I needed further explanation from Youtube such as decoherence and Heisenberg's Uncertainty principal.

I particularly liked the final chapter which deals with practical applications of quantum mechanics in areas of computing, medicine and biology.

Now that I have a firmer background of the subject, I will restart Gribbin's book again.

quantum computers

I am currently reading John Gribbin's "Quantum computing for cats: from qubits to colossus".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Computing-Quantum-Cats-Colossus-Qubits/dp/0593074882

So far a very interesting read.  If these things ever go into the production the possibilities could be endless.