Henry Legg
@henrylegg.bsky.social
Lecturer (~asst prof) investigating quantum physics @univofstandrews.
My opinions belong to 28 highly trained monkeys and are not those of my employer.
Webpage: https://legg.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
My opinions belong to 28 highly trained monkeys and are not those of my employer.
Webpage: https://legg.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
Pinned
Henry Legg
@henrylegg.bsky.social
· Feb 28
Comment on "InAs-Al hybrid devices passing the topological gap protocol", Microsoft Quantum, Phys. Rev. B 107, 245423 (2023)
The topological gap protocol (TGP) is presented as "a series of stringent experimental tests" for the presence of topological superconductivity and associated Majorana bound states. Here, we show that...
arxiv.org
I had made Microsoft Quantum aware of issues before publication of this latest Nature paper (which uses it tune up their devices).
Since they seem to not care, I have make these issues public.
In short: The topological gap protocol and all claims based on it are flawed.
arxiv.org/abs/2502.19560
Since they seem to not care, I have make these issues public.
In short: The topological gap protocol and all claims based on it are flawed.
arxiv.org/abs/2502.19560
Proof that having a PhD is not a sign of true intelligence: Guess which moron waited until February to buy a bike and started cycling to work in the driving Scottish wind and rain?
February 5, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Proof that having a PhD is not a sign of true intelligence: Guess which moron waited until February to buy a bike and started cycling to work in the driving Scottish wind and rain?
Fun fact I learnt preparing my condensed matter lectures for this semester:
Arnold Sommerfeld was nominated 84 times for the Nobel prize in physics, but never won.
Interestingly, despite his lifelong Nobel prize disappointment, Sommerfeld never threatened to invade Greenland (as far as I know).
Arnold Sommerfeld was nominated 84 times for the Nobel prize in physics, but never won.
Interestingly, despite his lifelong Nobel prize disappointment, Sommerfeld never threatened to invade Greenland (as far as I know).
January 26, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Fun fact I learnt preparing my condensed matter lectures for this semester:
Arnold Sommerfeld was nominated 84 times for the Nobel prize in physics, but never won.
Interestingly, despite his lifelong Nobel prize disappointment, Sommerfeld never threatened to invade Greenland (as far as I know).
Arnold Sommerfeld was nominated 84 times for the Nobel prize in physics, but never won.
Interestingly, despite his lifelong Nobel prize disappointment, Sommerfeld never threatened to invade Greenland (as far as I know).
Ignoring the other madness in this: It’s interesting to see how French food is used as a weapon of diplomacy.
What’s the British equivalent of dinner in Paris? Fish and chips with the king?
What’s the British equivalent of dinner in Paris? Fish and chips with the king?
Trump posts what appears to be a private text message sent to him by Macron
January 20, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Ignoring the other madness in this: It’s interesting to see how French food is used as a weapon of diplomacy.
What’s the British equivalent of dinner in Paris? Fish and chips with the king?
What’s the British equivalent of dinner in Paris? Fish and chips with the king?
Oh man these Microsoft Quantum press releases are getting weirder (parody)
January 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Oh man these Microsoft Quantum press releases are getting weirder (parody)
I have long thought the hyper focus on the Nobel prize by many “bigshot” scientists is bad for science…
I had never considered that the hyper focus of a US president on the Nobel peace prize could be bad for peace
I had never considered that the hyper focus of a US president on the Nobel peace prize could be bad for peace
Not the sort of letter committed to paper by a well man. "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
January 19, 2026 at 8:25 AM
I have long thought the hyper focus on the Nobel prize by many “bigshot” scientists is bad for science…
I had never considered that the hyper focus of a US president on the Nobel peace prize could be bad for peace
I had never considered that the hyper focus of a US president on the Nobel peace prize could be bad for peace
Reposted by Henry Legg
I am making the supreme sacrifice in the name of solidarity. For as long as Trump is threatening Greenland I will boycott American bread and chocolate.
January 18, 2026 at 6:59 PM
I am making the supreme sacrifice in the name of solidarity. For as long as Trump is threatening Greenland I will boycott American bread and chocolate.
Reposted by Henry Legg
The rarest of sights - a big glossy journal publishing negative replications! Yes, we had to bundle 4 replications into one article AND we had to wait 2 (!!) years in peer review, but here we are:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Data sharing helps avoid “smoking gun” claims of topological milestones
Manipulating the topology of electronic bands can realize new states of matter, with possible implications for information technology. A central question is how to tell whether a topological regime ha...
www.science.org
January 8, 2026 at 7:21 PM
The rarest of sights - a big glossy journal publishing negative replications! Yes, we had to bundle 4 replications into one article AND we had to wait 2 (!!) years in peer review, but here we are:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thank you for all your private messages to me about Balrog wings.
Unfortunately, in 2025, wingers like @dangaristo.bsky.social still exist and think Balrogs were just glorified penguins.
In this era of fake news we must defend important facts: Balrogs do not have wings.
Unfortunately, in 2025, wingers like @dangaristo.bsky.social still exist and think Balrogs were just glorified penguins.
In this era of fake news we must defend important facts: Balrogs do not have wings.
@dangaristo.bsky.social this is how Balrog wingers imagine Durin's bane.
You think a glorified penguin is going to go toe-to-toe with Gandalf? Come off it.
You think a glorified penguin is going to go toe-to-toe with Gandalf? Come off it.
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Thank you for all your private messages to me about Balrog wings.
Unfortunately, in 2025, wingers like @dangaristo.bsky.social still exist and think Balrogs were just glorified penguins.
In this era of fake news we must defend important facts: Balrogs do not have wings.
Unfortunately, in 2025, wingers like @dangaristo.bsky.social still exist and think Balrogs were just glorified penguins.
In this era of fake news we must defend important facts: Balrogs do not have wings.
Reposted by Henry Legg
Now this is classic Usenet beef. We're talking 30-year-aged stuff here. Simpler times. Better times.
I was just sent a video of a child in a Balrog halloween costume. Appallingly, the Balrog costume had wings.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
October 29, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Now this is classic Usenet beef. We're talking 30-year-aged stuff here. Simpler times. Better times.
I was just sent a video of a child in a Balrog halloween costume. Appallingly, the Balrog costume had wings.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
October 29, 2025 at 7:18 AM
I was just sent a video of a child in a Balrog halloween costume. Appallingly, the Balrog costume had wings.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
**Balrogs do not have wings**
Why are we teaching children incorrect anatomy of mythical creatures? Are you going to also throw a pair of wings on a giraffe?
My day is already ruined.
Let's be very clear: Google’s claims are debatable, Microsoft’s are a work of fiction.
Be sceptical of Google like the bloke down the pub claiming he lives in a mansion.
Be sceptical of Microsoft like the bloke claiming he lives in a castle in the sky powered by topoconductors and fairy dust.
Be sceptical of Google like the bloke down the pub claiming he lives in a mansion.
Be sceptical of Microsoft like the bloke claiming he lives in a castle in the sky powered by topoconductors and fairy dust.
Microsoft vs Google - who will succeed to make researchers more sceptical?
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
October 24, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Let's be very clear: Google’s claims are debatable, Microsoft’s are a work of fiction.
Be sceptical of Google like the bloke down the pub claiming he lives in a mansion.
Be sceptical of Microsoft like the bloke claiming he lives in a castle in the sky powered by topoconductors and fairy dust.
Be sceptical of Google like the bloke down the pub claiming he lives in a mansion.
Be sceptical of Microsoft like the bloke claiming he lives in a castle in the sky powered by topoconductors and fairy dust.
Reposted by Henry Legg
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
The correct decision from the Nobel committee. If they had even muttered the words "quantum computing" the number of start-up founders posting about their quantum crypto coin NFTs would break LinkedIn.
Interesting bit of sociology: They are really studiously avoiding any mention of quantum computing. First and only mention came in the last few words of the presentation by Johansson.
October 7, 2025 at 10:23 AM
The correct decision from the Nobel committee. If they had even muttered the words "quantum computing" the number of start-up founders posting about their quantum crypto coin NFTs would break LinkedIn.
Reposted by Henry Legg
Our Nobel Prize predictions for the next week. #Nobel2025
October 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Our Nobel Prize predictions for the next week. #Nobel2025
Bit grim seeing the FT treat HSBC’s quantum computing theatre as actual news. Why worry about fake news when the establishment press has already been lobotomised by corporate press releases?
I wish HSBC (my mortgage provider) were as flexible with my interest rate as they are with reality…
I wish HSBC (my mortgage provider) were as flexible with my interest rate as they are with reality…
HSBC claims quantum trading breakthrough on.ft.com/4mDbeYG
HSBC claims quantum trading breakthrough
Europe’s largest lender tested a tool developed by IBM on bond market data
on.ft.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Bit grim seeing the FT treat HSBC’s quantum computing theatre as actual news. Why worry about fake news when the establishment press has already been lobotomised by corporate press releases?
I wish HSBC (my mortgage provider) were as flexible with my interest rate as they are with reality…
I wish HSBC (my mortgage provider) were as flexible with my interest rate as they are with reality…
Reposted by Henry Legg
Reposted by Henry Legg
HSBC demonstrates world’s first-known quantum-enabled algorithmic trading with IBM | HSBC News
HSBC announces the world’s first-known empirical evidence of the potential value of quantum computers for solving real-world problems in algorithmic bond trading.
www.hsbc.com
September 26, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Quantum hype meets financial trading 🤢
Also: "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships"
How can being employed by HSBC not be a competing interest?
www.hsbc.com/news-and-vie...
Also: "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships"
How can being employed by HSBC not be a competing interest?
www.hsbc.com/news-and-vie...
HSBC demonstrates world’s first-known quantum-enabled algorithmic trading with IBM | HSBC News
HSBC announces the world’s first-known empirical evidence of the potential value of quantum computers for solving real-world problems in algorithmic bond trading.
www.hsbc.com
September 25, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Quantum hype meets financial trading 🤢
Also: "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships"
How can being employed by HSBC not be a competing interest?
www.hsbc.com/news-and-vie...
Also: "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships"
How can being employed by HSBC not be a competing interest?
www.hsbc.com/news-and-vie...
The promise of spin qubits has always been their potential to leverage existing semiconductor fabrication techniques. As such this is really a very exciting publication… even if you can’t always trust everything published in Nature.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Industry-compatible silicon spin-qubit unit cells exceeding 99% fidelity - Nature
Two-qubit operations exceeding 99% fidelity have been demonstrated by silicon devices made with standard semiconductor tooling in a 300-mm foundry environment.
www.nature.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:14 AM
The promise of spin qubits has always been their potential to leverage existing semiconductor fabrication techniques. As such this is really a very exciting publication… even if you can’t always trust everything published in Nature.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Henry Legg
Or you can go here neos-server.org/neos/solvers... and wait about 0.02 seconds for the problem to be solved exactly 😂
September 22, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Or you can go here neos-server.org/neos/solvers... and wait about 0.02 seconds for the problem to be solved exactly 😂
Reposted by Henry Legg
This is really scary - I always thought physics was safe. It would be huge loss to see physics departments close across the country.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing, survey finds
Four out of five making staff cuts as physicists say findings are ‘great concern’ for UK’s leadership in important areas
www.theguardian.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This is really scary - I always thought physics was safe. It would be huge loss to see physics departments close across the country.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Donald’s H1B visa policy is already a HUGE success. Many people are saying it to me this morning – the most important people. They say, "Donald’s done it again, so clever, real clever.” America already has the BEST brains. Like Einstein. He was American you know.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump signs proclamation imposing annual $100,000 fee on H-1B visas
Move deals potentially major blow to US tech industry, which relies heavily on workers from India and China
www.theguardian.com
September 20, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Donald’s H1B visa policy is already a HUGE success. Many people are saying it to me this morning – the most important people. They say, "Donald’s done it again, so clever, real clever.” America already has the BEST brains. Like Einstein. He was American you know.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
The year I arrive @physastrostand.bsky.social rises to #1 in the UK for Physics in the Times & Sunday Times University League table.
(and we all know that correlation *does* imply causation, right?!)
www.thetimes.com/uk-universit...
(and we all know that correlation *does* imply causation, right?!)
www.thetimes.com/uk-universit...
September 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The year I arrive @physastrostand.bsky.social rises to #1 in the UK for Physics in the Times & Sunday Times University League table.
(and we all know that correlation *does* imply causation, right?!)
www.thetimes.com/uk-universit...
(and we all know that correlation *does* imply causation, right?!)
www.thetimes.com/uk-universit...
"We must make fire work. Stop asking why wet sticks no good."
- Grug, circa 50,000 BC
“We must make Majorana work. Stop asking why InAs no good.”
- Microsoft, 2025
pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...
- Grug, circa 50,000 BC
“We must make Majorana work. Stop asking why InAs no good.”
- Microsoft, 2025
pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...
September 8, 2025 at 2:27 PM
"We must make fire work. Stop asking why wet sticks no good."
- Grug, circa 50,000 BC
“We must make Majorana work. Stop asking why InAs no good.”
- Microsoft, 2025
pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...
- Grug, circa 50,000 BC
“We must make Majorana work. Stop asking why InAs no good.”
- Microsoft, 2025
pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...
I feel compelled to repost my experimental colleagues’ job adverts because physics is ultimately an experimental science and trust me you really don’t want me anywhere near your lab…
Looking for highly motivated individuals who are keen to work on superconductivity in thin films of lanthanum nickelates. The project encompasses thin film growth by MBE, ARPES and STM. For the full advert, see www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/....
August 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
I feel compelled to repost my experimental colleagues’ job adverts because physics is ultimately an experimental science and trust me you really don’t want me anywhere near your lab…