logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
25m 20s

The quantum revolution: First port of ca...

Financial Times
About this episode

The Port of Los Angeles is one of the world’s busiest — and most inefficient. It’s now using an early quantum computing application to help solve its logistical bottlenecks. 

Has it made a difference? The FT’s John Thornhill investigates. We hear from truck drivers at the Port of Los Angeles; Matt Schrap, CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association; SavantX co-founder Ed Heinbockel, who helped bring quantum computing to the port; and Alan Baratz, president of D-Wave Systems. Plus, John and FT artificial intelligence editor Madhumita Murgia discuss what optimisation at the Port of Los Angeles tells us about the future of quantum technology.


Presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill, produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon and Edwin Lane. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to the National Quantum Computing Center for their help on this episode.


We're keen to hear more from our listeners about this show and want to know what you'd like to hear more of, so we're running a survey which you can find at ft.com/techtonicsurvey. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 19
Coming soon: Defying death
<p>Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved from the super rich to a mass market consumer industry. I ... Show More
1m 30s
Oct 23
Introducing Untold: Toxic Legacy
Introducing Toxic Legacy, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Laura Hughes uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic across the UK. You might be living with lead and not know it: the toxin is often invisible to the human eye, but wreaks havoc on our bodies once we’re e ... Show More
2m 16s
Oct 22
Mission to Mars: Bad science fiction
For decades, science fiction writers have envisaged colonising Mars, even building cities on the red planet. Advocates for Mars exploration, such as Elon Musk, want to make that vision a reality. But can humans really live in an alien world? The FT’s space industry editor Peggy H ... Show More
31m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
The quantum revolution: First port of call
<p>The Port of Los Angeles is one of the world’s busiest — and<strong> </strong>most inefficient. It’s now using an early quantum computing application to help solve its logistical bottlenecks.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Has it made a difference? The FT’s John Thornhill investigates. We hea ... Show More
25m 20s
Apr 2023
The quantum revolution: The way the world is
<p>In the final episode of this Tech Tonic series, we hear how radical quantum ideas are reshaping our fundamental understanding of the universe. Nobel Prize winner Anton Zeilinger tells the FT’s Madhumita Murgia about the future of teleportation and the quantum internet; quantum ... Show More
23m 41s
Mar 2023
The quantum revolution: The race to build a quantum computer
<p>Tech companies including Google, Microsoft and IBM are all working on plans for a commercially viable quantum computer. They say that these machines will be able to solve climate change, help develop new pharmaceutical drugs and transform our economy. But harnessing quantum ph ... Show More
20m 51s
Mar 2023
The quantum revolution: ‘Spooky action’
<p>&nbsp;In this episode, Tech Tonic dives into the science at the heart of quantum computing. How do technologists use unexplained subatomic phenomena to build powerful computers?</p><br><p>FT artificial intelligence editor Madhumita Murgia tells the story of quantum physics wit ... Show More
25m 23s
Apr 2023
The quantum revolution: Brain waves
<p>Quantum computers aren’t the only form of groundbreaking technology that use quantum physics. Madhumita Murgia hears from Dr. Margot Taylor,&nbsp;neuroscience researcher at The Hospital for Sick Children, who’s using quantum sensors&nbsp;to unpick the mystery of how autism fir ... Show More
22m 13s
Mar 2023
Introducing Tech Tonic Season 6: The Quantum Revolution
<p>Tech companies and labs around the world are building a revolutionary new computer. Quantum computers harness the mysteries of quantum physics to perform calculations that seem impossible. The people building them say they’re going to change the world.</p><br><p>In a new seaso ... Show More
1m 42s
Mar 2023
The quantum revolution: Q-Day
<p>In the cybersecurity world they call it Q-Day, the day when a quantum computer will be built that can break the encryption of the internet.</p><br><p>John Thornhill and Madhumita Murgia speak to cybersecurity expert and former professional hacker Mark Carney about password cra ... Show More
26m 4s
Nov 2022
Quantum technology gathers pace
The 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics celebrated research that is underpinning a tech transformation 
43m 38s
Mar 2023
Quantum melodies: the intersection of music and quantum physics
Music generated by quantum computers is intriguing from musical and scientific perspectives 
59m 58s