Quantum Drawings: Chapter 4

Astronomically huge numbers.

“Q 192”

I have been making images with quantum computers for several years now — my first was in March 2021. But, aside from an occasional text accompanying a post on Instagram, I haven’t written about this work. So I’m committing to fixing this situation. I want to go back to what triggered my interest in the technology, my process, the different phases of the work, and what I’ve discovered along the way.

But I’m not going to write it in order. I’m starting with Chapter 4. And, before I even start that chapter, some background…

Background

My “Quantum Drawings,” are derived from data generated using an IBM quantum computer. Unlike classical computers, where a “bit” is either 0 or 1, a quantum computer’s “qubit” simultaneously holds the value of 0 and 1.¹ It is only when the qubit is measured that the value resolves to 0 or 1.

I’ve long been fascinated by the “many-worlds” interpretation of quantum physics. The key idea is that when a qubit is measured both results actually occur. My initial understanding of this was that, at the moment of measurement, the universe splits in two. Then, there exists two universes: in one universe I’m looking at a 0 result, and the second universe, where everything else is identical, there exists another version of me who is looking at a 1. Crazy?!

This idea of the “multiverse” (or parallel universes) is something that we see in popular culture. It’s frequently used in Marvel movies or Star Trek episodes. The film “Everything Everywhere All at Once“ takes place entirely in the multiverse. But in our non-fiction lives it’s hard to imagine that it could be real. Am I, with my work with quantum computers, really creating new universes?

With that question I began modifying my “Quantum Drawing Machine” code to make visible the branching and universe splits, real and hypothetical, that happen when generating the data for that image. I imagined these as “multiverse maps” — showing the paths that connect some of the universes.

“Q 303”

“Q 313”

“Q 589”

But how much splitting is happening? How many new universes am I leaving in my creative wake? I wanted to do the math to find out.

(And here’s where Chapter 4 starts.)

Chatper 4

My current quantum computer program uses five qubits and is run 1,000 times (what they call “shots”) for each image I create. Every time I measure the qubits there are 2⁵ = 32 possible outcomes. And each of the 1,000 shots leads to one of these 32 outcomes. This calculates to 32¹⁰⁰⁰ total possible outcomes. And because each outcome is real — existing in its own, newly created, universe — there are now 32¹⁰⁰⁰ more universes than before.

What is 32¹⁰⁰⁰? It is an astronomically huge number. It is vastly larger than the number of particles in the observable universe. What does it look like fully expanded? This:

141,246,703,213,942,603,683,520,966,701,614,733,366,889,617,518,454,111,681,368,808,585,711,816,984,270,751,255,808,912,631,671,152,637,335,603,208,431,366,082,764,203,838,069,979,338,335,971,185,726,639,923,431,051,777,851,865,399,011,877,999,645,131,707,069,373,498,212,631,323,752,553,111,215,372,844,035,950,900,535,954,860,733,418,453,405,575,566,736,801,565,587,405,464,699,640,499,050,849,699,472,357,900,905,617,571,376,618,228,216,434,213,181,520,991,556,677,126,498,651,782,204,174,061,830,939,239,176,861,341,383,294,018,240,225,838,692,725,596,147,005,144,243,281,075,275,629,495,339,093,813,198,966,735,633,606,329,691,023,842,454,125,835,888,656,873,133,981,287,240,980,008,838,073,668,221,804,264,432,910,894,030,789,020,219,440,578,198,488,267,339,768,238,872,279,902,157,420,307,247,570,510,423,845,868,872,596,735,891,805,818,727,796,435,753,018,518,086,641,356,012,851,302,546,726,823,009,250,218,328,018,251,907,340,245,449,863,183,265,637,987,862,198,511,046,362,985,461,949,587,281,119,139,907,228,004,385,942,880,953,958,816,554,567,625,296,086,916,885,774,828,934,449,941,362,416,588,675,326,940,332,561,103,664,556,982,622,206,834,474,219,811,081,872,404,929,503,481,991,376,740,379,825,998,791,411,879,802,717,583,885,498,575,115,299,471,743,469,241,117,070,230,398,103,378,615,232,793,710,290,992,656,444,842,895,511,830,355,733,152,020,804,157,920,090,041,811,951,880,456,705,515,468,349,446,182,731,742,327,685,989,277,607,620,709,525,878,318,766,488,368,348,965,015,474,997,864,119,765,441,433,356,928,012,344,111,765,735,336,393,557,879,214,937,004,347,568,208,665,958,717,764,059,293,592,887,514,292,843,557,047,089,164,876,483,116,615,691,886,203,812,997,555,690,171,892,169,733,755,224,469,032,475,078,797,830,901,321,579,940,127,337,210,694,377,283,439,922,280,274,060,798,234,786,740,434,893,458,120,198,341,101,033,812,506,720,046,609,891,160,700,284,002,100,980,452,964,039,788,704,335,302,619,337,597,862,052,192,280,371,481,132,164,147,186,514,169,090,917,191,909,376.

(For comparison, there are approximately 3.28 x 10⁸⁰ particles in the observable universe. Expanded: 328,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.)

Seeing these huge numbers can be overwhelming. Is something that seems as simple as running a (quantum) computer program really generating such an incredibly large number of new universes? If that’s the case then mapping them can start to seem pointless. Even the smallest map of the multiverse would be almost infinitely dense.

But maybe mapping isn’t what can help us understand the multiverse…

David Deutch theorizes that quantum computing is “the first technology that allows useful tasks to be performed in collaboration between parallel universes.” This is based on a many-worlds interpretation that says, essentially, measuring a qubit doesn’t cause the universe to split. Instead, both universes already exist. Seeing the measured 0 or 1 may be my consciousness moving from one universe to another.²

George Musser in “Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation” writes "The universe does not unfurl, it simply is – it is laid out in its entirety, past, present, and future, like a landscape." No universes are created. All universes exist. And have always existed.

The deeper we get into quantum physics the stranger, and more removed from our intuitions, everything becomes. If all universes already exist (past, present, and future) then even time and space may not be real phenomenon. They may instead be emergent properties — things we perceive only because of our inability to sense the full multiverse. (I’ve previously written about this here. But I know there’s a lot more that needs to be said.)

So where does that leave us?

I believe that consciousness, beauty, and aesthetic experiences are the answer. That’s what is driving the work I’m now creating. And that will be the next chapter.

1. This isn’t entirely accurate. When a qubit is in a superposition, it simultaneously represents both 0 and 1 with certain probabilities. I simplify my text to get the basic point across.

2. This idea of consciousness moving is my speculation. But it’s not without cause. Wait for Chapter 5 for more.