QISTCon.PH 2025’s Filipino Dragon

Mabuhay Pilipinas!

By Brian Siegelwax posted 04 Aug 2025

I quietly attended QISTCon.PH 2025 this week. It was the Philippines’ first Quantum Information, Science, and Technology Conference, as well as an IYQ Global-Funded Event. If you’re thinking about attending next year, I’ll just say that this year’s venue was a tropical island resort that once hosted a Miss Universe swimsuit competition.

This week’s premium content:

In this edition:

That’s news to me.
Antimatter Qubits
An Evening Exploring Quantum Computer Music
Behind-the-Scenes of an Impact Quantum Podcast
Quantum Machines is looking for software stars.
Berkeley Lab’s Extensible, Modular, Adaptable, and Scalable Dragon
Doctoral Hat
Alice in Quantumland
Quantum Inertial Sensor… in Space….
Zapata AI Job Seekers… only 1 left on this list!
Quantum Noise Detector

This collection complements the newsletter. It contains additional links but it does not include commentary nor is it a tightly curated list of the most significant, interesting, or humorous recent quantum content.

That’s news to me.

Dr. Bob Sutor and his Sutor Group Intelligence and Advisory has an RSS aggregator providing you with fresh quantum news. I disagree with the disclaimer that it isn’t a tightly curated list of interesting or humorous content, though, as The Quantum Dragon makes the cut. Click on that and you’ll be satisfied.

However, the antiproton qubit is unlikely to find work in quantum computing because ordinary matter can be used for that more easily without the risk of the antimatter annihilating.

Antimatter Qubits

CERN held an antiproton in superposition for almost a minute, which makes it a pretty good candidate for a quantum computer you only need to use once….

An Evening Exploring Quantum Computer Music

By the time you read this, Stochastic Labs will have just hosted Prof. Eduardo R. Miranda of the University of Plymouth. On July 31, he gave a talk on quantum computer music, followed by a demonstration. If you’re sorry you missed it, follow Prof. Miranda on LinkedIn. If you’re not, follow him anyway.

Behind-the-Scenes of an Impact Quantum Podcast

I normally can’t listen to myself, but this is interesting because the podcast wasn’t edited at all. It begins even before I join the call, and then it’s just a conversation. I might have even been funny once or twice; you be the judge. And as I say toward the very end, I could’ve kept speaking with the hosts literally for hours.

Quantum Machines is looking for software stars.

Thanks to Dr. Nathan Levy for not only making recruitment fun with a 4-panel comic, but also for describing the role and challenge of qubit control from a software perspective. It’s oddly appropriate to use children in an analogy, since kids and qubits are both prone to misbehave. This link might require a LinkedIn account.

Berkeley Lab’s Extensible, Modular, Adaptable, and Scalable Dragon

What the heck is The Quantum Dragon doing with that Lamborghini Countach? Hint: it has something to do with QubiC 2.0, Berkeley Lab’s extensible, modular, adaptable, and scalable qubit control system.

Doctoral Hat

Thanks to Dr. Andreas Wallraff for sharing this. I obviously don’t have a doctoral hat, and I can’t say I’ve seen anything like this, not even at American sporting events. I see a hard hat, a syringe, puzzle pieces, a clock, possibly a maze, and possibly a miniature golf course. In other words, I have no idea what I’m looking at.

Alice in Quantumland

With the double disclaimer that this book was published in 1995 and that I haven’t read it, its title begs inclusion in this newsletter. Furthermore, I’ve read that it’s doubly controversial! I’m not surprised that physicists might take issue with it, but apparently some Alice in Wonderland superfans do, too.

Quantum Inertial Sensor… in Space….

The secretive X-37B spaceplane is pending launch with a quantum inertial sensor. Apparently, GPS degradation and denial in space is a thing. The sensor is a collaboration between Vector Atomic and Honeywell Aerospace.

Zapata AI Job Seekers… only 1 left on this list!

If you were laid off by Zapata AI and would like a free listing in this newsletter, please reach out and let me know. I’ll maintain a list in The Quantum Dragon until everyone on the list has been gainfully employed elsewhere or is otherwise no longer actively job seeking. I might extend this offer to all job seekers, but I’ll start with these layoffs.

Shawn Gibford Industrial PHDc: Quantum Applications in the Life Sciences

Quantum Noise Detector

Alan Ho and Prof. Michael Biercuk inspired the Resuscitated Quantum Bullshit Detector, but the original(?) has resurfaced on Bluesky. It’s back to reposting a simple “bullshit” or “not bullshit,” so The Quantum Dragon will continue to monitor for challenges, controversies, and debates under this new name from Dr. Bob Sutor.