Supporting STEM Education in Northern New Mexico
Will Quantum Computing live up to the hype? Talk by Carleton Coffrin
In recent years you likely have come across news headlines like, “Quantum Computing Advance Begins New Era”, “Why the Quantum Supremacy Milestone Matters”, “Don't Fall for Quantum Hype” and wondered – what is all this excitement about?
This talk will give an overview of how quantum computers differ from current computers and why some scientists believe that quantum computers will bring about a renaissance in scientific discovery. The talk will discuss some common misconceptions about quantum computation and review recent technical demonstrations that have generated excitement and controversy in the scientific community.
$10 admission; free for BSMA members
January 14, 2026, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Bradbury Science Museum
Dr. Carleton Coffrin is a computer scientist by training who received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut in 2006 and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Brown University in 2012. Dr. Coffrin joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as a staff scientist in 2016 to support the Global Security directorate in the analysis of critical infrastructure networks.
After joining LANL, Dr. Coffrin became fascinated by commercial quantum computing devices and grew into one of LANL's most prolific users of quantum computing hardware. Over the subsequent years Dr. Coffrin built his expertise in quantum computation through principal investigator roles of ISTI Rapid Response, LDRD Exploratory Research and LDRD Directed Research projects. He also contributed to important to service activities such as, co-leading LANL's Quantum Computing Summer School (2018, 2019, 2020), co-organizing the Adiabatic Quantum Computing conference with UNM (2023) and supporting LANL's engagement in the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C).
The Bradbury Science Museum Association supports and inspires learners of all ages in Northern New Mexico and beyond through STEM Education.
