Quantum Zeitgeist Credits 73-Year-Old John Preskill With Coining 2 Defining Quantum Computing Terms
Updated
Updated · Pasadena Now · Jul 15
Quantum Zeitgeist Credits 73-Year-Old John Preskill With Coining 2 Defining Quantum Computing Terms
1 articles · Updated · Pasadena Now · Jul 15
Summary
Quantum Zeitgeist’s July 1 profile says John Preskill gave quantum computing its core vocabulary, crediting him with “quantum supremacy” and “NISQ,” terms now used across research and industry.
Preskill introduced “quantum supremacy” in a 2011 Solvay Conference talk and a 2012 paper, then coined NISQ in a 2018 Quantum paper to describe today’s noisy, intermediate-scale devices.
Google’s 2019 claim that its 54-qubit processor achieved quantum supremacy helped cement his framing, while researchers broadly adopted “NISQ-era” as the standard label for current hardware.
Caltech’s 73-year-old theorist has worked on the Pasadena campus since 1983, founded its quantum information institute in 2000, and still shapes the field through 2025 and 2026 papers on post-NISQ milestones and verifiable quantum advantage.
The profile casts Preskill’s influence as extending beyond research results to the language policymakers, companies and scientists use to measure quantum computing’s progress.
With classical computers challenging quantum claims, is the finish line for 'quantum supremacy' a constantly moving target?
Can our digital world upgrade its defenses before quantum computers make modern encryption obsolete?
As companies race to build the 'megaquop' machine, which industry will be the first to feel its revolutionary impact?
John Preskill and the Quantum Computing Revolution: Key Milestones, Terminology, and Impact (2012–2025)
Overview
Between 2022 and 2025, quantum computing saw major progress, highlighted by John Preskill’s introduction of the megaquop machine concept. This idea, first shared in his 2024 blog post, marks a key step beyond NISQ technology, aiming for more powerful and reliable quantum systems. Preskill’s leadership at Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025, has been central to these advances. As an NSF Physics Frontiers Center, IQIM continues to drive innovation in quantum research, reflecting Preskill’s lasting influence on the field’s direction and future potential.