Comics about mathematics, science, and the student life.

How to Cook With Quantum

Panel 1 (Find a laptop with a smooth base.): A laptop upside down, with an arrow pointing to the base which says, "Metal preferred". Panel 2 (Load your favourit quantum simulation*.): A researcher at her laptop says, "I'm feeling like some random quantum circuits today." *Must be inefficient classically. Panel 3 (Set N to be about 22.): A Python program with the simulation for 22 qubits. Panel 4 (Wait a few seconds for your laptop to accept its fate. Now, you have a hot plate!): The researcher stands at her desk with a frying pan on top of her laptop and says, "Who knew my research was so applicable?"

This is going in my next grant application.

(Hat tip to Andrea Morello for the inspiration.)

27 Mar 2023

Calculation Path

A very winding path from A to B, representing how I do a calculation. Then there's a straight connection between A and B, representing how everyone else does it.

Just once, I’d like to be the one finding the quick way!

24 Mar 2023

Sliver of Context

A one-dimensional line indicating the time of day. There's a small sliver in the middle that represents the time you interact with students as a coach or a teacher. The other much larger parts you never see.

I try to remember this whenever I’m tempted to get frustrated with athletes or students. I’m only privy to a small slice of their life, so I’m likely missing the surrounding context.

22 Mar 2023

Growth in Safety

A graph of "Potential to grow" versus "Feeling of safety". With little safety, there's zero potential for growth. It's only after a minimum amount of safety does the potential for growth increase quickly.

When I lead, this is one of my core responsibilities.

(Hat tip to Kiera for inspiring this graph!)

20 Mar 2023

Internal

Two friends are standing together. One is stooping from the weight of a box he's carrying above his head, labeled "Internal Story". His friend says, "You know you can change that, right?"

“You mean I should pick one of those instead?” he says, pointing behind to the pile of even larger boxes.

17 Mar 2023

Peering

A scientist is on their knees and peers into a small gap, labeled "Your methods", to a cavern labeled "Your research idea". The scientist says, "I can see something! (Pause) I think."

This is how I imagine models work: They give us a small window into an idea, almost never the entire view.

15 Mar 2023

Possibilities

An initial solid line representing the current path then splits into a bunch of dashed lines, indicating the space of possibilities. Caption: There are more possibilities than you think.

The main limit tends to be my imagination, not the space of possibilities.

13 Mar 2023

Get To

Two friends approach a sign that says, "Challenges Ahead". The man is hunched over and says, "I have to do this..." while the woman makes a fist and says, "I get to do this!"

A little perspective change can go a long way.

10 Mar 2023

Level

Left panel: A man holds an item in his hands labeled "Great idea" and the man says, "I have a great idea for society!" Right panel: The great idea is on top of the uneven platform labeled "Society's playing field" and the man says out of frame, "That was unexpected..."

This is what happens when theory hits reality.

08 Mar 2023

Similarity

An excerpt of a textbook that says, "Let $\mathcal{N}(w = Nω)$ be...", and it's very unclear that w and ω are distinct symbols. Caption: Are researchers just trying to throw people off?

Yes, yes they are.

06 Mar 2023