Quote · The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Prof G Markets: Google’s Quantum Breakthrough & The World Cup Goes to Saudi Arabia
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Google's Willow Quantum Chip: What Is Quantum Computing?
At 32:35 · chapter starts 28:36
Ed takes the wheel for a technical deep dive that somehow stays accessible. He opens with the fundamental difference: classical computers process binary 1s and 0s, while quantum computers use qubits that can be both simultaneously. His coin-flip analogy is elegant — a classical computer tells you the result after the coin lands, a quantum computer calculates probabilities while the coin is still in the air. The three key traits he identifies are exponential processing power (as qubits increase, power scales exponentially rather than linearly), a historically catastrophic error rate, and practical impracticality for today's problems. The Willow breakthrough addresses that second trait: with Willow, adding more qubits actually reduces errors, inverting the usual relationship. Scott's take is more market-facing — Alphabet's stock loved it not because anyone knows the application, but because it signals that the company still has world-class scientific talent. He calls it more of a 'branding event' for Alphabet than a product launch, and draws the comparison to IBM (whose bow, he suggests, has been crossed) rather than NVIDIA. The discussion teases out a deeper question: where does AI end and quantum begin, and how will investors eventually play the space? [1] — Ed Elson "Classical computers process 1s and 0s. Quantum computers analyze the probability of a coin being heads or tails while it's still in the air…" 28:36
Classical computers process 1s and 0s. Quantum computers analyze the probability of a coin being heads or tails while it's still in the air. Google's Willow chip is a breakthrough because it solves quantum's biggest problem: the more qubits you add, the more accurate it gets rather than the more errors it makes.
Quantum computers could theoretically break any encryption system in the world, including Bitcoin. You'd need 13 million qubits to do it — Google's Willow chip has 105. The threat is real but distant, which is why Bitcoin dipped the day of the announcement.
To crack Bitcoin's encryption would require a quantum computer with 13 million qubits; Google's Willow chip currently has only 105 qubits.
Quantum computing will become the next AI — a term companies use to inflate their stock multiple without delivering real financial results. Build a quantum lab, watch your valuation soar, and never be held accountable because the payoff is always 10 years away.
