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Who is Scott Aaronson?
The short answer (tap to open)
Scott Aaronson is a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin who directs its Quantum Information Center. Since 2005 his blog, Shtetl-Optimized, has explained quantum computing and challenged overblown claims. He helped develop the theory behind "quantum supremacy" experiments, won the 2020 ACM Prize in Computing, and co-wrote the 2025 certified-randomness paper.
How did a theorist become the field's hype checker?
Card 1 · The theorist
Aaronson studies what quantum computers can and can't do in principle: which problems they speed up, and which they don't. His 2013 book Quantum Computing Since Democritus grew from his lectures.
Card 2 · The blog
In October 2005 he starts Shtetl-Optimized. It becomes the place many researchers and journalists check when a big quantum claim appears.
Card 3 · The sceptic
For years he scrutinises D-Wave's claims of quantum speed-up (page 16a), asking for evidence against the best ordinary methods. He criticises the claims, and says what evidence would convince him.
Card 4 · The builder
He also helps create the theory that sampling experiments test, the basis for Google's 2019 experiment (chapter 11). In 2021 he wins the ACM Prize in Computing (for 2020) for his quantum computing work.
Card 5 · The student's result
In 2018 Ewin Tang, an 18-year-old undergraduate at UT Austin, shows an ordinary algorithm can match a celebrated quantum one for recommendations (chapter 14). Aaronson champions the result, which takes away one of quantum computing's hoped-for advantages.
Card 6 · No. Just No.
In January 2023 he answers the "372 qubits break RSA" claim in three words (page 16a). In 2025 he publicly challenges a bank's quantum trading claim (chapter 14).
Card 7 · Then randomness
In 2025 he co-writes the Nature paper in which a quantum computer produces certified random numbers, one of the first tasks with a proven quantum edge and a possible use. The sceptic and the builder turn out to be the same job: say exactly what's true.
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Exactly what's true, no more, no less.
Aaronson builds the theory and checks the claims.