Mithuna Yoganathan: Quantum Immortality and Self-Study in Physics

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.

0:00 Introduction
2:26 What's it like running a 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel?
2:56 Using "explanation to others" as a self‑learning tool
5:27 How do you learn new physics / mathematics?
6:22 On feeling like math / physics isn't within your ability to grasp
8:29 Is math necessary for understanding physics
9:23 Daily schedule / routine
12:50 Dealing with people emailing theories
15:28 Fat‑shattering dimensions
17:01 What's the Pauli group's relation to the Clifford group?
19:44 How do you prove that a quantum algorithm is efficiently simulable classically
22:58 Gottesman‑Knill theorem (and its extension, proved by Mithuna)
25:41 What's responsible for the "speedup" in Quantum Computing?
29:24 Which of her thesis results is the most significant? (on quantum complexity and clean Qubits)
37:27 Magic state distillation
38:34 Gödel's incompleteness, with quantum logic
40:41 Halting problem
41:10 Quantum Computers vs Probabilistic Turing Machines
42:17 P = NP
44:41 Richard Borcherd's comments on Quantum Computers not being "better" than classical (generically)
47:05 Quantum Contextuality
52:29 Quantum decoherence and why it doesn't solve the measurement problem
56:26 On the Many Worlds Interpretation
58:45 Quantum Immortality
1:03:19 Is space / time discrete and what would the implications of this be for QC?
1:04:42 Wolfram's "principle of computational equivalence"
1:05:32 Bohemian Pilot wave theory
1:09:28 Are the laws of physics ultimately beautiful and simple?
1:10:31 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.

SPONSOR: I personally subscribe to The Economist. TOE listeners get 35% off the annual subscription. No other podcast has this! https://economist.com/TOE

FOLLOW: Substack | Spotify | YouTube | Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices