The Jordan Harbinger Show — Episode 1261: John Young | Decrypting the Quantum Quandaries of Q-Day

Release Date: December 23, 2025
Guest: John Young, COO of Quantum Emotion America

Episode Overview

Jordan Harbinger sits down with John Young, a pioneer in cybersecurity and quantum technology, to unpack the coming revolution and risks of quantum computing. They decode what quantum computers really are, why their emergence could break all current digital security, what "Q Day" is, and why the stakes reach from miracle drugs and climate breakthroughs to existential risks for global digital trust. Mixing technical clarity with hacktivist anecdotes and analogies, this episode explores the looming quantum timeline and how people, organizations, and governments might prepare for or get blindsided by the next leap in computation.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Backstories in Hacking: From Phone Phreaks to Cybersecurity (03:23–12:00)

Points Covered:

• Jordan and John swap stories as early “phreakers”—hackers manipulating phone networks for curiosity, profit, and, occasionally, revenge.
• John was once chased by the FBI for teenage exploits on the AT&T network, while his mentor went on to commit massive fraud.
• Discussion of the old hacker networks, economic incentives (e.g., cloning cell phones for drug dealers), and "bloodless" crimes misunderstood by authorities and teens alike.

Memorable Quote:

• John Young: "I thought it was a bloodless crime. I didn't think it was a crime to make a phone call. But it created such administrative churn that they got the FBI involved." (10:47)

2. Intro to Quantum Computing: What Is It and Why Is It Different? (12:16–16:41)

Points Covered:

• Quantum computers exploit principles like superposition, existing in multiple states simultaneously, versus binary on/off states in classical computers.
• Quantum computation allows analysis of all possible solutions at once, not sequentially.
• Leap in computational ability: regular computer to quantum is like “Volkswagen Bug to F1 racer.”
• Current quantum machines are sensitive, fragile, and vary from "sculpture-like" billion-dollar setups to makeshift science projects.

Memorable Analogy:

• John Young: "If a regular computer is a Volkswagen Bug, a quantum computer is an F1 racer." (13:02)

3. The Potential and Dangers of Quantum Computing (16:41–24:42)

Points Covered:

• Quantum computers could transform molecular modeling, enabling rapid innovations in medicine, materials, and potentially life extension.
• The combination of AI and quantum computing could lead to exponential technological leaps—and potentially, unforeseen dangers.
• Discussion of “desktop quantum computers” and parallels to previous technological ubiquity (e.g., the smartphone) but concern that powerful computation in every home could be quickly weaponized.
• The threat of “harvest now, decrypt later”: hackers and nation-states collecting encrypted data today, planning to break it when quantum power arrives.

Memorable Quote:

• John Young: "The terrorists, bad actors, hackers, are hoarding the data. They call it 'harvest now, decrypt later,' where they're grabbing all of this data in the hopes they get their hands on a quantum computer." (20:21)

4. Real-World Use Cases — Who Needs Quantum, and How Soon? (21:00–28:06)

Points Covered:

• Most real-world benefits will go first to science and industry (drug design, new materials, climate modeling). Everyday consumers may still rely on cloud access to quantum resources.
• Quantum computers' environmental sensitivity and intense cooling requirements mean they remain "fighter jet" machines, not home appliances for now.
• Playful speculation: In the future, individuals could use personal quantum computers for immersive VR applications (think "Star Trek holodeck"), but that's likely distant.

5. The Coming Quantum-AI Fusion and the Pace of Change (28:06–32:36)

Points Covered:

• When quantum hardware meets swarming AIs, both computation and innovation may accelerate beyond public comprehension.
• Nation-states and tech megacorps are racing to build and network quantum machines—IBM's Starlink project aims for 20,000x improvement; Google's “Willow” chip has 105 qubits, doubling since 2019.

Memorable Stat:

• Jordan: "Google did something in 200 seconds that would've taken 100,000 regular computers 10,000 years to do. That's actually insane." (33:03)

6. Q-Day: An Existential Threat for Digital Trust (35:53–47:51)

Points Covered:

• Q Day: The moment quantum computers can easily break the encryption protecting everything digital—banking, medical records, state secrets, infrastructure, and more.
• Once quantum can break our encryption: it’s unclear if we’ll know immediately (catastrophic collapse) or only years later (the slow bleed as secrets are slowly exploited).
• Government action: The US has begun legislating quantum preparedness (e.g., the Quantum Computer Cybersecurity Preparedness Act of 2023), but businesses lag.
• The risks aren’t just theoretical: historical codebreaking (e.g., Nazi Enigma) transformed wars in secret, and similar stealth may unfold in the quantum arms race.
• Many are already hoarding encrypted data for future quantum decryption.

Memorable Quote:

• John Young: "Once [encryption] starts falling, who knows where the cascade will be? ... They're not going to announce they're in our banking system or military. So that's really the scariest scenario." (41:20)

7. Timelines and Preparation: Are We Ready? (43:51–47:51)

Points Covered:

• Timeline is dramatically compressing: what was once 20–30 years out may now be just 5–10, especially as AI/quantum research snowballs and national investment ramps up.
• Some evidence suggests lower-level quantum decryption is already happening—countries and companies are playing catch-up.
• "Doomsday preppers" may inadvertently be best prepared for Q-Day, compared with most institutions and infrastructure owners.

8. Comparing Q-Day and "Y2K" — Why It's Worse (56:12–58:58)

Points Covered:

• Y2K was a defined, date-driven bug that cost half a trillion dollars to fix—Q-Day is more ambiguous, less coordinated, and threats are ongoing and adaptive.
• The internet’s critical role in life, finance, and safety makes quantum collapse far more severe than Y2K ever was.

9. The Quantum Arms Race: Who's Competing, Who's Winning? (60:10–64:01)

Points Covered:

• The leaders: Google, IBM, Microsoft, the NSA, China, and major universities—all with “unlimited” resources.
• China and Russia have “brilliant physicists,” strong state incentives, and the ability to recruit talent using money, patriotism, or family pressure.
• Discussion of exodus of scientists from regimes like Russia, but the risk that returning diaspora (even involuntarily) could transfer top-tier knowledge.

10. Quantum-Resistant Encryption — Is It Possible? (65:04–68:42)

Points Covered:

• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has developed four “post-quantum cryptography” (PQC) algorithms, but the switchover for massive, legacy systems will be slow and complex.
• Upgrading all the world’s critical infrastructure could take a decade (or longer), and many essential systems still run on unpatchable, ancient hardware.

11. Hope or Hoarding: What Future Will We Choose? (68:24–70:02)

Points Covered:

• Ideally, humanity can share quantum’s benefits—miracle drugs, better batteries, climate solutions—while cooperatively protecting its risks.
• In reality: risk of a “zero-sum scramble” where nations and companies hoard, compete, and the digital divide grows.
• John advocates for broad cooperation, licensing, and public awareness because the problem is too vast for any single company or agency.

Memorable Quote:

• John Young: "We either survive together or we go down together. ... For every person stepping back and saying, 'it's over my head,' there's ten moving forward." (68:48, 69:51)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "Quantum computers can exist in what's called a superposition ... basically on and off at the same time." (13:02, John Young)
• “They call it ‘harvest now, decrypt later’...” (20:21, John Young)
• “Google did something in 200 seconds that would've taken 100,000 regular computers 10,000 years…” (33:03, Jordan Harbinger)
• “Once it starts falling, who knows where the cascade will be? ... They're not going to announce that they broke it.” (41:20, John Young)
• “Q-Day is just basically the day that encryption is cracked by the quantum computers.” (41:16, John Young)
• “I think the percentages are probably 95% slow bleed ... but what happens when it happens in multiple sectors at the same time?” (52:52, John Young)
• “Y2K was a nothing burger—cost half a trillion dollars to make it that way... But we’re not seeing that with Q Day.” (56:27, John Young)
• “It’s a dog eat dog world out there. But in this case, we either survive together or we go down together.” (68:48, John Young)

Highlighted Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hacker Origin Stories & Phone Phreaking: 03:23 – 12:00
• Quantum Computing, Explained: 12:16 – 16:41
• Quantum’s Promise (and Threat): 16:41 – 24:42
• AI + Quantum: Exponential Acceleration: 28:06 – 32:36
• Q-Day & Encryption Meltdown: 35:53 – 47:51
• Y2K vs. Q-Day: 56:12 – 58:58
• Quantum Arms Race: 60:11 – 64:01
• Quantum-Resistant Encryption & Migration Challenges: 65:04 – 68:42
• Global Stakes & Final Thoughts: 68:24 – 70:02

Tone & Style Notes

• Accessible, plain-language explanations of technical concepts, peppered with compelling analogies.
• Candid, witty banter and personal stories from the host and guest reveal both expertise and humility.
• A sense of urgency balanced with nuanced hope: the risks are massive, but so is the potential, if humanity gets it right.

Final Takeaway

Quantum computing is not just the next tech trend—it's an exponential leap with the power to upend digital security, global order, and our capacity to solve humanity's hardest physical and biological problems. The countdown to "Q Day" is real, the arms race is on, and the very fabric of digital trust hangs in the balance. Will we prepare together and share the upside, or are we too distracted to notice the ground shifting beneath us until it's too late?

For links, referenced articles, and guest information, visit the episode show notes at jordanharbinger.com.