Hi Darling!
This week I sit down with Dr Aaron Breidenbach, a Stanford physicist, Nature-published scientist, and self-proclaimed Quantum Shaman. Aaron’s research into exotic magnetic crystals could hold the key to the next generation of quantum computers, but his curiosity doesn’t stop there.
These crystals aren’t just lab-grown, amazingly, they occur naturally in the Atacama Desert, one of the most remote and mysterious places on Earth. The indigenous Atacameño people, whose traditions are deeply animistic, believe everything is conscious... even the mountains themselves. Aaron is heading there to see if these two worlds can meet: could the physics of his crystals and the spirituality of the desert reveal a shared understanding of consciousness?

We talk about quantum computers, consciousness, AI, and whether matter itself might be aware. Aaron shares why he thinks a computer made from his crystals could one day be conscious and how he plans to use psychedelics and indigenous wisdom to understand what physics alone can’t explain.

If you’ve ever wondered where science ends and spirituality begins, this one’s for you.

You can follow Aarons jouney here: thequantumshaman.wordpress.com

This is the final episode in series 1 of Alex the Physicist & friends, I'll be back with more in a few weeks time!

@alexthephysicist