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Quantum computing: videos Hacker News recommends
Quantum computing: qubits, quantum algorithms, Shor, Grover, quantum supremacy, error correction, IBM and Google quantum hardware, quantum information explained. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (5 explainers, 4 talks, 1 news clip), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- It is HN's most frequently recommended starting point for quantum computing because it avoids pop-science hand-waving and needs only basic linear algebra.
- PBS Infinite Series explainer recommended in 4 different months by 4 HN users, 2017–2023HN recommends it as one of the most accessible yet accurate introductions to quantum computing, and part of a wider series that covers Shor's algorithm.
- HN recommends it as a good overview of the NIST candidates and the state of post-quantum crypto.
- HN commenters point to it as a clear, approachable explanation of Shor's algorithm and what quantum computers actually do.
- PBS Infinite Series explainer recommended in 3 different months by 3 HN users, 2018–2019HN recommends it as a clear, worked explanation of Shor's algorithm for building intuition.
- Qiskit talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2021–2024HN recommends it as an oral history of the algorithm straight from its inventor.
- HN points to it both as an approachable quantum computing intro and as an example of explaining one concept at multiple levels.
- Arthur Gleckler talk recommended in 2 different months by 3 HN users, 2017–2019Recommended as a real-world case of Lisp in a cutting-edge industry, applied to quantum hardware.
- Quanta Magazine explainer recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2022–2024Initially praised as a nicely done explainer, it is now more often cited as an example of overhyped quantum coverage.
- HN mostly cites it as a reference for the Google/NASA/D-Wave partnership and as a basic intro to quantum computing's potential.
- Bitcoin Israel lecture cited on HN 3 times, 2018–2022Mostly cited in critical or skeptical comments about Buterin, with a little admiration for the talk coming from a 19-year-old.
Questions
What is the most recommended quantum computing video on Hacker News?
Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists by Microsoft Research: It is HN's most frequently recommended starting point for quantum computing because it avoids pop-science hand-waving and needs only basic linear algebra.
How is this quantum computing list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.