QuantumDelta.nl Announces Colloquium on Cold War Origins of Quantum Technology
Colloquiums
QuantumDelta.nl and the Center for Quantum and Society have begun to connect future-state physics and historical geopolitics. The program will examine how Cold War systemic instability and concerns shaped quantum technology.
The colloquium’s keynote speaker is Stony Brook University assistant history professor Susannah Glickman. Her book, When History is too Important to be Left to Historians: The Death of the Cold War State and the Birth of Quantum Technologies, challenges the idea that quantum computing is simply a natural progression from theoretical physics to engineering. Rather, according to Glickman, the field developed as a direct reaction to problems in the US during the Cold War.
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Crisis as a Catalyst for Innovation
The United States went through a period of significant “rupture” and systemic instability in the middle to late 20th century. According to Dr. Glickman, these crises were the main forces behind the rearrangement of significant scientific institutions rather than merely background noise. In an unpredictable global climate, governments and scientific elites sought new ways to predict technological results and stabilize the future.
This shift was led by 20th-century physics giant John Wheeler. Wheeler and his predecessors saw history and technology as intertwined and sought “laws of techno-economic development” to manage an uncertain future. Glickman claims that hypothetical quantum technologies were promoted as solutions to systemic issues, indicating a need for stability and predictability.
The Ideology of Progress and Moore’s Law
The significance of ideology in ensuring the survival of scientific disciplines is a crucial aspect of Glickman’s research. Quantum technologies had to fit into a “progressivist-developmental” paradigm to acquire traction and obtain the required high-risk funding.
Moore’s Law’s cultural influence is possibly the clearest example of this concept. Scientists were able to defend the long-term funding needed for speculative research by portraying technological progression as an unavoidable, historical march of progress. This story turned “tech” into a speculative organization rather than just a set of tools. In this framework, semiconductors and quantum computing are seen not only as quicker tools but also as the tangible realization of a long-standing duty to uphold state stability and technological superiority.
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Speculative Institutions and Policy
Glickman’s research delves deeper into the ways in which the term “tech” demands the establishment of organizations that are intended to foster future possibilities rather than only present production. These “speculative institutions” facilitate the reinforcement of underlying ideologies through tangible activities like the growth of the semiconductor sector, resulting in a self-sustaining loop where narratives are directly translated into state policy.
According to Glickman, this historical foundation made it possible to move from early material practices to the contemporary theoretical promises of quantum machine learning and the quantum internet. Her prior Columbia University dissertation, “Histories, Tech, and a New Central Planning,” and her planned book project both go into greater detail on how these narratives continue to influence the governance of developing technologies.
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QuantumDelta.nl and the Modern Mandate
QuantumDelta.nl’s multidisciplinary approach is being continued in the group, which has created “Action Line 4,” which emphasizes the societal impact and governance of quantum developments, in recognition that technology does not live in a vacuum.
The Centre for Quantum and Society acts as a critical bridge in this ecosystem, ensuring that ethical, legal, and social implications are addressed alongside hardware development. The Centre provides practical support to businesses and startups, helping them evaluate the societal impact of their work. This contemporary emphasis on “impact assessment” is reminiscent of the Cold War era’s requirement for a progress narrative to support research funding.
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In conclusion
Researchers contend that since the world is about to enter a “Quantum Age,” it is crucial for both the general public and politicians to comprehend these historical foundations. The forthcoming colloquium serves as a reminder that the development of the first working quantum computer is based on the psychology of crises and the history of statecraft rather than merely qubits and cryogenics.
The scientific community is offering a road map for handling the next major technological advancement by looking at John Wheeler’s work and the changes in American institutions during the Cold War. Society can negotiate the “Quantum Delta” with more historical understanding and a focus on beneficial societal results when it recognizes quantum technology as a profoundly human response to the desire for advancement. Through Joris van Hoboken at the University of Amsterdam, a major contact for the colloquium series, interested parties can interact with the Center’s activities.
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