Manshen Lo “QUANTUM supremacy” is a phrase that has been in the news a lot lately. Several labs worldwide have already claimed to have reached this milestone, at which computers exploiting the wondrous features of the quantum world solve a problem faster than a conventional classical computer feasibly could. Although we aren’t quite there yet, a general-purpose “universal” quantum computer seems closer than ever – a revolutionary development for how we communicate and encrypt data, for virtual reality, artificial intelligence and much more. These prospects excite me as a theoretical physicist too, but my colleagues and I are captivated by an even bigger picture. The quantum theory of computation originated as a way to deepen our understanding of quantum theory, our fundamental theory of physical reality. By applying the principles we have learned more broadly, we think we are beginning to see the outline of a radical new way to construct laws of nature.