Quantum question time

Tech Life

BBC

Tech News, News, Technology

4.4 • 221 Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We step inside a quantum computer lab to answer your questions about technology that promises to revolutionise everything from particle physics to fertiliser production.

Also this week on Tech Life: lots of us upload and download large quantities of data, and the expectation is that the demand for data will only increase in the future. How will our current networks cope ? The solution travels at the speed of light.

And how do you teach AI to speak in different accents ? We find out.

We enjoy reading your messages about Tech Life. Please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or send us a Whatsapp message or voice memo on +44 330 1230 320. Please include your name and where you live.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

Image: The word "Quantum" is illuminated on a circuit board. Credit: Wong Yu Liang/Getty Images

Transcript

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0:00.0	Get closer to the action with live commentary from the world's greatest sporting events on BBC Sounds.
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0:25.0	Sports Extra 2 and Sports Extra 3.
0:27.6	Listen, only on BBC Sounds.
0:30.5	Welcome to TechLife on the BBC World Service,
0:33.8	the programme about technology and how it's changing all our lives. I'm Chris Valence. This week,
0:40.5	we're out at the cutting edge of computer science. We'll step inside a quantum computing lab
0:46.5	to answer your questions about technology that promises to revolutionise everything, from particle
0:53.2	physics to fertiliser production.
0:55.9	But is, let's be honest, a bit hard to understand. That's in a moment.
1:01.6	And we are all data gluttones. We want more, more, more information, more, more, quickly.
1:07.9	How on earth will our current networks cope? The solution, it turns out, travels at the speed of light.
1:14.5	And how do you teach AI to speak in different accents? Well, this week for a change, we're going to start with you, our listeners.
1:43.8	Over the past two weeks, we've been asking
1:45.9	you to send us your questions about quantum computing, and lots of you have. Quantum computers
	...

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