True to form, Joe Rogan doesn’t waste any time diving into the deep end. Within the first half-minute of the latest Joe Rogan Experience episode, the host is already unpacking the mind-bending implications of quantum computing with his longtime friend and technical producer Brian Redban, who seems delightfully out of his depth.
“Did you see that new information about China came out with a new quantum computer?” Rogan asks almost immediately after the opening formalities.
He proceeds to describe a machine capable of solving in four minutes what would take all the world’s supercomputers combined 2.6 billion years to compute. He says: “It can do an equation in four minutes. It takes all the world’s supercomputers 2.6 billion years to solve. ”
Redban’s bewildered response was, “Really? Is that real though?
Rogan admits he’s had quantum computing explained to him “four or five times” but still doesn’t understand it, calling his brain a “monkey brain” in the process.
He says, “That’s the problem with this whole quantum thing is, I don’t understand. I’ve had it explained to me four or five times. I don’t understand it. Yeah. It’s just my monkey brain is like… They also say a lot of things, you know, like so who knows if it’s real or not.”
It’s pretty clear Redban wanted no part of Rogan’s quantum rabbit hole. As Rogan dives headfirst into talk of multiverses and dimension-hopping supercomputers, Redban’s whole vibe seems like he wants it to end.
The discussion quickly escalates into even stranger territory. Rogan references venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s explanation of quantum computing’s impossible-seeming capabilities. He said that if you converted all the universe’s atoms into a supercomputer, it still couldn’t match what these quantum machines accomplish in minutes.
“What are you saying? What does this mean?” Redban asks, voicing the confusion many listeners probably share.
The conversation then veers into speculation about how many people actually understand this technology. Rogan estimates that maybe thirty people on the planet could recreate a quantum computer from scratch.
And that’s where Rogan’s curiosity becomes a bit maddening. His wide-eyed wonder about technology is entertaining, sure—but it’s also frustrating when the conversation keeps circling the same confusion without any real insight.
Additionally, Redban’s uneasy laughter and hesitant replies say it all. He’s trapped in a conversation that’s spiraling way beyond his comfort zone.
