Art Bell welcomes science writer Jennifer Ouellette, author of "The Physics of the Buffyverse" and "Black Bodies and Quantum Cats," for a conversation exploring the intersection of real physics and science fiction. They discuss the newly announced 16-qubit quantum computer from a Vancouver company, and Ouellette explains how quantum computing could eventually break current encryption systems and solve problems impossible for traditional machines.
The discussion moves through the multiverse theory, wormholes as depicted in the film "Contact," and physicist Michio Kaku's civilization scale, with Art pressing the sobering point that the odds of humanity surviving the transition from Type Zero to Type One are almost zero. Ouellette shares her perspective on why women remain underrepresented in the hard sciences and discusses the physics behind fictional universes, arguing that even fantasy worlds must follow internal rules. She also addresses telepathy, suggesting that while no magical mechanism exists, future technology involving brain implants could one day achieve something resembling it.
The conversation turns philosophical as they discuss the Big Bang, the accelerating expansion of the universe, the closure of Princeton's ESP lab, and whether science leaves room for the existence of God.
