Oliver Dial, CTO of IBM Quantum, joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about Starling. IBM’s first quantum processor designed for real-time quantum error correction.
Forget qubit counts. Starling is built to scale.
Backed by $30 billion in R&D, this isn’t science fiction. This is IBM swinging for fault tolerance by 2029, with a roadmap targeting a 1:1000 ratio of logical to physical qubits. Translation? The first quantum systems that might actually matter.
Inside this episode:
- Why error mitigation is not enough, and what comes next
- What a logical qubit really is, and why you need thousands of physical ones to protect it
- How IBM plans to leap from lab demos to world-changing simulations
- What quantum means for chemistry, materials, finance, and optimization
- Why Starling is going to work
And no, you don’t need a PhD to follow this. If you’re curious, you’re qualified.
This is Thinking on Paper. We break it down so you walk away actually understanding why fault tolerance is the moment quantum grows up, and how IBM plans to get there first.Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.
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Links and resources:
IBM Quantum: https://quantum.ibm.com/
Starling press release: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2025-06-10-I...
Blog: https://www.ibm.com/quantum/blog/larg...
IBM Roadmap updates: • 2025 IBM Quantum Roadmap update
Follow Thinking On Paper:
Thinking On Paper: https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/
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Chapters
(00:00) IBM's Quantum Investment
(02:11) The IBM Roadmap to Quantum Advantage
(05:00) Error Mitigation vs. Fault Tolerance
(07:47) The Hybrid Quantum-Classical Approach
(10:18) Physical vs. Logical Qubits
(12:45) Magic States and Universal Quantum Computing
(15:15) Loon, Kookaburra & Future IBM Developments and Milestones
(17:12) The Future of IBM Quantum Computing
(19:11) A Day in the Life of an IBM Quantum CTO
(21:25) Building a Quantum Workforce
(23:37) The Intersection of AI and Quantum
(25:40) Practical Applications of Quantum Technology
(28:02) Why Quantum Matters to Humanity
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