For years I’ve been thinking and hoping that quantum physics would become the next hacker revolution. DIYers in their basements, garages, and hackerspaces have already pioneered radio communications, PCs, household robots, and cheap 3-D printers—why not quantum entanglement, cryptography, computers, and teleportation? In recent years, physics educators have streamlined quantum experiments to the point where advanced amateurs could do them at home. I’ve tried to encourage the trend by inviting a Sci Am article on how to make a quantum eraser with a laser pointer and, last week, blogging about a particle detector in a plastic party tumbler.HT: Newmark's Door
In the latest issue of Make magazine, I learned about an extraordinary book that could do for quantum homebrewers what Popular Electronics magazine did for Jobs and Wozniak in the ’70s. Written by the father-daughter team of David and Shanni Prutchi, Exploring Quantum Physics Through Hands-On Projects takes you from basic particle-wave demonstrations all the way up to quantum random-number generators. The associated website follows up with detailed advice and other projects. Had you asked me a month ago, I would have said that an atomic clock is surely beyond the capacity of even the most dedicated hobbyist. Now I know better. ...MORE
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