3 ms·

It's like saying "wet water". Not a false statement, but under normal conversational assumptions, it sure sounds like there's some non-wet water or some similar

It's like saying "wet water". Not a false statement, but under normal conversational assumptions, it sure sounds like there's some non-wet water or some similar contrasting idea. If you're familiar with Grice's Maxims, then "quantum light" violates the Principle of Quantity by providing too much information, inviting misinterpretation.

AmericanChopper 8y ago
Water has been obviously wet for as long as there’s been water. The theory of quantized light has only existed since 1900. The idea of using light quanta to power logic gates is a very modern innovation, in a very modern field called quantum computing, which is what the article being discussed is about. There’s no such thing as dry water, but there’s a very clear distinction between a technology that processes individual photons and one that just uses light. Perhaps ‘quantum light’ is a bit contrived, but the ‘quantum-ness’ of the light is the novel aspect of both the technology and the underlying physics.
- adrianN 8y ago
  What you're saying is of course correct, but I wanted to mention that there is this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_water https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_water
talltimtom 8y ago
It’s more akin to saying water droplets. Now you can argue that “all water is made up of droplets” but still not every body of water is a bunch of droplets. When people talk about quantum light, they mean something different from just saying light. You are being pandantic.
- oytis 8y ago
  It would be better called 'quantized light' IMO. 'quantum light' sounds like marketing BS.
  - dschuetz 8y ago
    That's essentially what I meant. Thanks. Quantized light still is like "wet water", but at least it sounds less like some obscure/magical light from the magical world of quanta.
  - AmericanChopper 8y ago
    Well the photon is the quantum of light. I don’t think you’d say ‘quantized computer’, you’d probably say quantum computer, as in relating to quanta.
    - oytis 8y ago
      Don't get your analogy. Photon is a quantum of light. Quantum computer is not a quantum of computing.

AmericanChopper 8y ago

Water has been obviously wet for as long as there’s been water. The theory of quantized light has only existed since 1900. The idea of using light quanta to power logic gates is a very modern innovation, in a very modern field called quantum computing, which is what the article being discussed is about. There’s no such thing as dry water, but there’s a very clear distinction between a technology that processes individual photons and one that just uses light. Perhaps ‘quantum light’ is a bit contrived, but the ‘quantum-ness’ of the light is the novel aspect of both the technology and the underlying physics.

adrianN 8y ago
What you're saying is of course correct, but I wanted to mention that there is this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_water https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_water

talltimtom 8y ago

It’s more akin to saying water droplets. Now you can argue that “all water is made up of droplets” but still not every body of water is a bunch of droplets. When people talk about quantum light, they mean something different from just saying light. You are being pandantic.

oytis 8y ago
It would be better called 'quantized light' IMO. 'quantum light' sounds like marketing BS.
- dschuetz 8y ago
  That's essentially what I meant. Thanks. Quantized light still is like "wet water", but at least it sounds less like some obscure/magical light from the magical world of quanta.
- AmericanChopper 8y ago
  Well the photon is the quantum of light. I don’t think you’d say ‘quantized computer’, you’d probably say quantum computer, as in relating to quanta.
  - oytis 8y ago
    Don't get your analogy. Photon is a quantum of light. Quantum computer is not a quantum of computing.