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On Oct. 9, Walter Hubbard, president of PC QuickHelp, and others described their experiences with Full Self-Driving, FSD, vehicles.
We will all become of a certain age where we could use a little help driving, whether it is due to deteriorating eyesight, reflexes, or just nervousness. Possibly a self-driving car would help.
We had a panel discussion with users of such vehicles, in particular Teslas with a Full Self Driving (Supervised) subscription. The panel discussed their experiences with their recent model Teslas.
Our audience brought questions and skepticisms about this evolving technology! Some folks had the opportunity for a for a ride!
Hubbard is the owner of PC QuickHelp now located in his home in Winchester. For 30 years, Hubbard has been helping clients solve computer issues, such as virus removal, hacking, and data recovery. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from University of Michigan.
Prior to his current career, he designed, installed, and troubleshot turbine generators for the fossil and nuclear power industries.
QUANTUM COMPUTERS
On Oct. 23, Olivia Lanes, of IBM Quantum, spoke about quantum computers. She addressed the following question: What makes quantum computing different from classical computing — and how can the two work together?
Lanes explored their distinct computational strengths and how quantum processors fit into modern computing workflows. She discussed recent advances in demonstrations of quantum advantage, what it takes to demonstrate an advantage over classical methods, and progress toward fault-tolerant quantum computing, highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges ahead.
Lanes is the Global Lead for Quantum Education and Learning at IBM Quantum, where she drives strategy, content development, and advocacy to empower researchers and students worldwide.
She oversees all scalable learning initiatives — from interactive tutorials and technical courses to video series and community workshops — and leads a cross-functional team of educators, instructional designers, content producers, and subject-matter experts.
Under her leadership, IBM’s quantum learning offerings have reached hundreds of thousands of learners and fueled adoption of the IBM Quantum platform across academia and industry.
A physicist by training, Lanes combines deep technical knowledge with a passion for clear, engaging communication. She co-hosts and oversees the Qiskit YouTube channel — now at over 170,000 subscribers — where she demystifies complex quantum concepts through hands-on coding demonstrations and real-world examples.
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Prior to her current role, Lanes developed and launched flagship quantum computing curricula for university partnerships, mentored early-career scientists, and spoke at conferences around the globe on best practices in science education and advocacy.
Outside of IBM, Lanes is committed to fostering the next generation of scientific thinkers. She volunteers as a mentor in STEM outreach programs, writes articles on quantum literacy for industry publications, and has guest-lectured at leading universities.
Lanes completed her B.S. in physics and astronomy at Dickinson college and her PhD in quantum physics at the University of Pittsburgh.
UPCOMING WILSON FORUM PRESENTATIONS:
On Nov. 13, a panel including representative of the Winchester Police Department, the AARP and the Winchester Co-Operative Bank will join Hubbard in a hybrid meeting which focuses on preventing fraud in a discussion of Why Bad Things Happen to Good Computers.
We will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 27.
All Wilson Science & Technology Forum presentations are recorded and can be streamed free on demand at the Wilson Forum’s website, https://jenksst.blogspot.com/
WinCAM broadcasts recordings of Forum presentations at 3 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.
For the schedule, go to https://wincam.org/schedule/education/ and search for “Wilson.” Likewise, our YouTube channel includes our video presentations: https://www.youtube.com/@wilsonsciencetechnologyfor3746/videos .
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The Wilson Forum’s meetings are via Zoom, at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of each month, with the exception of July and August.
To learn of upcoming Forum speakers, you can check the Jenks Center’s website https://www.jenkscenter.org/ (events > daytime > Wilson Forum).
Better yet, you can receive advance notification of upcoming talks by emailing a request to be added to the Forum’s roster to rlatanision@alum.mit.edu.
