What’s cooler than being cool?
Summary
This episode explores the race to build dilution refrigerators that are colder than deep space, a necessity for advancing quantum computing and quantum physics. The hosts discuss how these massive machines use rare helium-3 to cool chips to near absolute zero, enabling bizarre states of matter and stable qubits. They also examine the critical scarcity of helium-3, which is currently sourced from decaying nuclear weapons, prompting scientists to consider mining the moon for the isotope to fuel future technological breakthroughs.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Sonos and TikTok
The coldest place in the universe is in Finland
Introduction to dilution refrigerators and their design
Defining temperature, absolute zero, and cosmic background radiation
Quantum phenomena: superfluids, superconductivity, and physics unification
Explaining quantum computing, qubits, and the need for extreme cold
Sponsors: Sonos, TikTok, and American Express
How standard refrigerators work via phase changes
Dilution fridges: Helium-3 and the cost of extreme cold
The scarcity of Helium-3 and its source in nuclear weapons
Mining Helium-3 from the moon and future supply concerns
Conclusion: The race for colder temperatures and future tech
Credits and final sponsors: Checkout.com and 10x Genomics
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