Bringing the magic: Google breaks open a bottleneck in quantum computing

blog.google

29 points·xnx··9 comments

> developed what we now call “magic state cultivation.”

Somehow I can't help but read that phrase as a translated Wuxia [0] thing.

"It was then that the Non-Observing Sage secluded himself in the clan datacenter to focus on magic state cultivation. Half a year later, he emerged having mastered Rosen-Bridge Crossing Under Plum Blossoms."

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia

I was thinking more along these lines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mysticism

* xianxia

I really wish someone eventually understands this so they could explain it to me in the comments

It's kinda like magic numbers in a normal numerical algorithm. The issue is, the constants ('states') you need in some quantum computer themselves require some level of quantum computing to generate (in this case, iteratively 'cultivate'). In a normal computer you could read constants from the code, but that isn't possible here. You have to bootstrap the necessary quantum states from your non-quantum problem, and that needs to be efficient or else why did you build a quantum computer.

The paper: "Magic state cultivation on a superconducting quantum processor" https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13908 (Dec 2025)

I love that the researcher in the video is just hanging out in her living room and holding her cat while recording her portion of the explainer

and possibly changing the world :D

> her cat

Ahem: "Toast, Research Assistant"

Hopefully Toast hasn't been put in too many boxes with flasks of poison.

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