Why Busy Beaver Hunters Fear the Antihydra
In which I explore the biggest barrier in the busy beaver game. What is Antihydra, what is the Collatz conjecture, how are they connected, and what makes them so daunting?
Ben Brubaker
Science Journalist
Latest posts
Toward the Ideal Elevator Display
Imagine a world where every moment gazing at an elevator display is as sublime as the transition from 2 to 3.
Why Build a Quantum Transducer?
A deep dive into the motivation for my postdoc research. What do microwaves and lasers have to do with communication? And what changes when I add the word “quantum” twice to every sentence?
On Error
Say the answer you get is 3 when you’re supposed to get 4. Did you do something wrong? And how does that make you feel?
Of Lifetimes and Linewidths
Resonance can help us understand a deep connection between time and frequency that applies to all waves, from light to sound to quantum physics.
Frequency Shifts Do Not Imply Quantum Entanglement
Demystifying the tardigrade-induced frequency shift with a mass, a spring, and a trip to Singapore in the year 8022.
Putting the Mechanics in Quantum Mechanics
How the tools of quantum optomechanics could one day be used to put a macroscopic object into a quantum superposition.
How Does an Axion Detector Work?
In which I unpack the inner workings of an axion dark matter detector, and explain why you shouldn't hold your breath for the discovery of dark matter.
How Big is a Billion?
A billion is a thousand million? Why wasn’t I informed of this?
The Uses of Natural Units
As a grad student TA for a freshman physics lab, I occasionally encountered statements like “the mass of the ball was ten.”