harlekins spirit

Quantum physics for hippies

While regularly checking my SPAM filter last year, I came across a news mail that surprised me. I knew that research was being done in the field, but this message showed it in a completely different light:
Fraunhofer and IBM present live: Quantum Computing in Germany
Inauguration of Europe’s most powerful quantum computer in an industrial context 15th June 2021 – 14:00

While I was still in the process of clearing the SPAM filter, the realisation hit me that I hadn’t the slightest idea of how quantum computers work. As a result, I bought some books and read posts about it. But just as a basic understanding of the electron is needed to understand how the current generation of computers work with transistors (or formerly valves), a basic understanding of quanta and quantum physics is needed to understand a quantum computer.

Watershed moment or do we just carry on regardless like lemmings?

In the current climate (sic) of doom and gloom I have been struck by the special nature of our predicament. I am among the first to groan inwardly if I hear that clichée “The Chinese word for problem is the same as for challenge.” Actually, my research revealed that the Chinese word 问题 “wenti” is usually translated as problem or question. But then I always assumed it was another of those urban myths, like the Inuit having 357 different words for snow. But I digress…

Jobs of the Future?

In our series on professions, I’ll not only be looking at the past, but also at the future – there are plenty of tips and information to take to heart. I’ll share a few of them here, and at the end I’ll reveal the ultimate piece of advice that could change all of our professional lives for good.

The value of work

A few days ago, I received an email from LinkedIn inviting me to participate in a survey. The title of the mail said: Beate, what do you find valuable about your work? – “Good question!” – I thought to myself. I hadn’t thought about that for a long time. Yet this is certainly one of the central questions when it comes to what activities and in what functions someone feels “in the right place” – and in which they do not.

This sounds much better in Russian…

War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there! War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there! War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there!

Shaping the career exit

This is another contribution by our guest author Christoph Henties, who is no stranger to loyal readers of the harlekin.blog. Thank you, Christoph!

Planning the next step

The End is My Beginning is the title of the autobiographical Spiegel bestseller by Tiziano Terzani. The book is a hymn to the possibility of being what you want to be. The journalist and writer begins a wonderful conversation about the venture of freedom, about courage, love, sickness and grief, about transience, moments of beauty and how you can learn to let go.

A fresh start at work is not easy. Replacing well-known structures and organisations with familiar people with something new and developing curiosity for the unfamiliar is a challenge. Anyone who has changed jobs more often will find it easier.

Jobs that no longer exist

Are project managers a dying breed too?

Why do occupations die out? There may be many reasons, but two are definitely drivers: technological and social changes.

From school we know Hauptmann’s drama ‘The Weavers’, in which changes in technology forced people to work for starvation wages. The job title itself may still exist in part, but the job description looks completely different. In this context, mention should be made of telling the time and the illuminating cities at night, which are no longer done by night watchmen.

Eyes wide open when choosing a profession!

Vocational Helpsheet from the Federal Job Center: Civil servant at federal institutions (senior and executive, non-technical grades)

Do you still remember the “Vocational Helpsheet”? These brown and white booklets from the Federal Job Centre were THE source of information on “what I want to be when I grow up” – at least at the time when I was tackling this question. A profession was presented in detail in each booklet and the fact that ultimately there were “only” about 700 titles to choose from makes it clear how challenging the choice was.

This made me think…

A few days ago, I was walking our dog past a building site that was secured by a series of fence sections. On one of these sections, one of the construction companies involved had hoped to draw attention to itself with a canvas advertisement. In my case it really succeeded.

The limits of good taste (Part 2)

Today’s article is not about cooking, we are not doing food science or rating a restaurant. No, we are looking at the world from the special perspective of a polyglot gourmet. A person who knows borders from travelling, who likes to cross them, but who would also like to explain what other borders there are: culinary boundaries – the boundaries of good taste. To be fair, it should be mentioned briefly that the exact course of the border is often disputed, but these details are rather irrelevant for this article.