The careless use of language in quantum information

K. Wiesner

The careless use of language in quantum information

K. Wiesner

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Abstract

An imperative aspect of modern science is that scientific institutions act for the benefit of a common scientific enterprise, rather than for the personal gain of individuals within them. This implies that science should not perpetuate existing or historical unequal social orders. Some scientific terminology, though, gives a very different impression. I will give two examples of terminology invented recently for the field of quantum information which use language associated with subordination, slavery, and racial segregation: 'ancilla qubit' and 'quantum supremacy'.

Original language	English
Journal	arXiv
Publication status	Published - 12 May 2017

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2 pages

Keywords

physics.soc-ph
quant-ph

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abstract = "An imperative aspect of modern science is that scientific institutions act for the benefit of a common scientific enterprise, rather than for the personal gain of individuals within them. This implies that science should not perpetuate existing or historical unequal social orders. Some scientific terminology, though, gives a very different impression. I will give two examples of terminology invented recently for the field of quantum information which use language associated with subordination, slavery, and racial segregation: 'ancilla qubit' and 'quantum supremacy'.",

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The careless use of language in quantum information

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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