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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.
- 12 HN recommenders 13 months 2018–2025It is HN's most frequently recommended starting point for quantum computing because it avoids pop-science hand-waving and needs only basic linear algebra.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2023P PBS Infinite Series · explainerHN 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.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019HN recommends it as a good overview of the NIST candidates and the state of post-quantum crypto.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023HN commenters point to it as a clear, approachable explanation of Shor's algorithm and what quantum computers actually do.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2019P PBS Infinite Series · explainerHN recommends it as a clear, worked explanation of Shor's algorithm for building intuition.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Q Qiskit · talkHN recommends it as an oral history of the algorithm straight from its inventor.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021HN points to it both as an approachable quantum computing intro and as an example of explaining one concept at multiple levels.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2019A Arthur Gleckler · talkRecommended as a real-world case of Lisp in a cutting-edge industry, applied to quantum hardware.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024Q Quanta Magazine · explainerInitially praised as a nicely done explainer, it is now more often cited as an example of overhyped quantum coverage.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2014HN mostly cites it as a reference for the Google/NASA/D-Wave partnership and as a basic intro to quantum computing's potential.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2022B Bitcoin Israel · lectureMostly 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.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.