20251211
Starlab veteran・日本語・Guinness Book of World Records・NASA・Kavli Institute・Harvard・TU Delft・Chief Scientist・Quantum Technology・Artificial Intelligence・NASA-trained Commercial Astronaut
We are at the very beginning of time for the human race. It is not unreasonable that we grapple with problems. But there are tens of thousands of years in the future. Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.
— Richard Feynman
From CAM-Brain to Cambrian 2.0:
Engineering the Next Intelligence Transition
We stand on the shores of a vast cosmic ocean, with untold continents of possibility to explore. As we continue forwards in our collective journey, scaling the cosmic ladder of evolution, progressing onwards, expanding our reach outwards in the transition to a multiplanetary species, Earth will soon be a destination, not just a point of origin.
From early childhood, I set out to convey a profound and positive impact on the long-term future of humanity — to make the world a better place for our children, our children's children, and the generations yet to come. As we're collectively propelled forwards as a species, I committed to ensuring core values of balance, integrity, and ethical responsibility are upheld with paramount importance in scientific research and principal government leadership. With unprecedented leaps and bounds of progress in our scientific understanding — enabled by the development of converging and expanding exponential technologies — newfound, unexpected discoveries await, just over the horizon.
Rapid advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, molecular nanotechnology, neuroscience, renewable energy, spaceflight, supercomputing and quantum technologies — each enabled by the recursive technological progress of Moore’s Law — will converge to confer radical changes to society over the coming decades, as we move forward in the collective transition toward the dawn of a post-scarcity economy. The future is unbounded. The responsibility falls upon us to ensure that its limitless potential is filled with dreams of hope, happiness, freedom and fulfillment.
In tribute to timeless, inspiring, and visionary friend, colleague, collaborator, and coauthor
Serguei Krasnikov
(1961–2024), whose midnight brainstorming sessions and legendary
time travel parties
at Starlab will echo through the ages. May we carry forward his boldest dreams, fulfill his most audacious ambitions, and meet again — somewhere, sometime, just over the horizon.
LINKS • PUBLICATIONS
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Altman, C, Pykacz, J, Zapatrin, R. Superposed Quantum Network Topologies,
International Journal of Theoretical Physics
Vol. 43, 2029–2040.
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Altman, C, Zapatrin, R. Backpropagation in Adaptive Quantum Networks,
International Journal of Theoretical Physics
Vol. 49, 2991–2997.
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Astronaut Deployment of a Secure Space Communications Network
Principal Investigator; NASA NIAC/OCT; DARPA QUINESS (Macroscopic Quantum Communications) -
Altman, C, Zapatrin, R. Spacetime from Quantum Topology, in Spacetime from Quantum Topology, Ignazio Licata and Cecilia Flori, ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
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Altman, C, Knorring, E, Zapatrin, R. Accelerated Training Convergence in Superposed Quantum Networks,
NATO Advanced Study Institute on Mining Massive Data Sets for Security
(Amsterdam)
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Astronaut scientists for hire open new research frontier in space, KurzweilAI (NASA Ames Research Center)
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Altman, C, Kahaner, D. Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program,Tokyo, US National Quantum Roadmap (ONR, ARO, DARPA, NSA)
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Astronaut Training Photos, NASA ARC/JSC, NASTAR/AGSOL, SIRIUS, Zero G, et al.
- Starlab: The Noah's Ark of scientific research that launched 1,000 startup ideas. Sifted (Financial Times–London).
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State of the Future, Live two-hour radio interview (San Francisco)
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Keynote on the Future of Space Exploration broadcast live to 108 cities around the world. Mobile Monday, The Netherlands (Amsterdam)
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Quantum Machine Learning in Adaptive Quantum Networks, Honors PhD Précis
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Global Inspirational Leaders Award, Global Inspirational Leaders Awards (Dubai, UAE)
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Converging Technologies: The Future of the Global Information Society, Chairman, UNISCA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security; RSA Information Security Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Policy (Barcelona)
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Microlens Array Fabrication in Quantum Coherent Information Processing
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience (Delft) -
Quantum Dynamics Research, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project.
理化学研究所 RIKEN, Frontier Research Laboratory (Tokyo) -
Korean Quantum Information Research, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project. The Korean Institute for Advanced Studies (Seoul)
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SOKENDAI Quantum Information Science, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project. The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
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Quantum Algorithms Research, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project. 東京理科大学 Frontier Research Center
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Quantum circuit complexity, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project. Tokyo University of Electrocommunications
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Quantum R&D Programs of Japan, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project
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International Conference on Quantum Information, Quantum Information Science and Technology Project. ICQI Italy–Japan
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The Noah’s Ark of Scientific Research that Launched 1,000 Start-ups, Sifted (Financial Times Europe, Brussels)
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Starlab – Deep Future, Discovery Channel Special (Brussels)
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Krasnikov on Closed Timelike Curves, Life, the Universe and Everything (Brussels)
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Experimental confirmation of Bell inequality violations in entangled photon pairs, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience (Delft)
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NASA Quantum AI Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center (US Government)
- Warp Drive Development, Limitless Institute
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- (2015) Altman C. and Zapatrin R. Spacetime from Quantum Topology. Edited by Ignazio Licata and Cecilia Flori. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- (2015) Altman C. Invited contribution to McDonald, K, Flat World Navigation, sequel to Innovation: How Global Change Innovators Think, Act and Change Our World, with Vint Cerf. Kogan Page, UK.
- (2014) Altman C., Belden C, Nicholson C and Ellis J. A global satellite network to secure air and space traffic worldwide. PeopleSat: A Comprehensive Solution in Response to the Disappearance of MH370. Washington, DC.
- (2013) Altman C., Williams C, Ursin R, Villoresi P and Sharma V. Astronaut Development and Deployment of a Secure Quantum Space Channel Prototype. Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems. DARPA; NASA NIAC/OCT.
- (2012) Altman C. The Race to Bring Quantum Teleportation to Your World. KurzweilAI Newsletter. October 5, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2012) Altman C. Moving Plane Exchanges Quantum Keys with Earth. KurzweilAI Newsletter. September 17, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2012) Altman C. Efficient tunable ion-photon entanglement interface enables quantum networks. KurzweilAI Newsletter. May 23, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2012) Altman C. Quantum entanglement in spin qubits. KurzweilAI Newsletter. May 17, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2012) Altman C. Austrian researchers set new world distance record for quantum teleportation. KurzweilAI Newsletter. May 21, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2012) Altman C. A Boost for Quantum Reality: The Quantum Mechanical Wavefunction is Real. KurzweilAI Newsletter. May 9, 2012. Cambridge.
- (2009) Altman C. and Zapatrin R. “Backpropagation in Adaptive Quantum Networks,” International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Vol 49, No 12. Springer, July 2009. London.
- (2008) Altman C. and Zapatrin R. “Superposed Adaptive Quantum Networks,” International Conference on Quantum Structures, Brussels–Gdansk. Springer, London.
- (2008) Altman C., Knorring E and Zapatrin R. “Accelerated Training Convergence in Superposed Quantum Networks,” NATO Advanced Study Institute on Mining Massive Data Sets for Security. Como, Italy. NATO.
- (2007) Altman C. “Microlens Array Fabrication: Future Directions in Quantum Coherent Information Processing,” FISBA/TU Delft Faculty of Applied Physics. FISBA Optik, Switzerland.
- (2004) Altman C., Pykacz J and Zapatrin R. “Superpositional Quantum Network Topologies,” International Journal of Theoretical Physics Vol 43, No 10. Springer, London.
- (2004) Altman C. and Kahaner D. “Korean Quantum Information Research,” Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2004) Altman C. “Advances in Quantum Algorithms,” Quantum Information Science and Technology Program, ATIP Tokyo, Japan.
- (2004) Altman C. and Satoh T. “Japanese National Research and Development Programs,” RIKEN National Laboratory. Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2003) Altman C. “RIKEN Quantum Dynamics Research,” Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2003) Altman C. “SOKENDAI Quantum Information Research,” Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2003) Altman C. “Quantum Circuit Complexity Research,” Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2003) Altman C. “International Conference on Quantum Information,” Tokyo Institute of Technology. Quantum Information Science and Technology Project, Asian Technology Information Program, Japan.
- (2002) Altman C. “Quantum State Engineering with the rf SQUID,” NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Quantum Chaos. NATO. Como, Italy.
- (2002) Altman C. “Converging Technologies: The Future of the Global Information Society,” UNISCA First Committee. Chair Report to the United Nations General Assembly. Amsterdam. Recipient of the 2004 RSA Information Security Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Policy.
- (2002) Altman C. “Directed Evolution in Silico: Modeling Large-Scale Neural Networks at Starlab,” Towards a Science of Consciousness. MIT Press. Cambridge.
- (2002) Altman C. “Quantum Uncertainty: The Boundaries of Empirical Knowledge,” Towards a Science of Consciousness. MIT Press. Cambridge.
- (2002) Altman C. “UN Sustainable Futures: Eden Project,” Trimtab Newsletter, Summer 2002. Special Issue with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Buckminster Fuller Institute. New York.
20250704
2020 Keynote on the Future of the Military in Space · Space Mastery · Portugal
2020 To the Stars and Beyond: Deep Tech & AI · San Francisco
2020 International Astronautical Congress, 71st IAF · ESA
2020 SpaceCom 2020, Enabling Commercial Space · Colorado Springs
2019 Quantum Information Processing with Superconducting Circuits
2019 Materials Frontiers to Empower Quantum Computing
2019 Quantum Technology: The Second Revolution
2018 FutureHack · Tokyo
2018 American School of Japan · Tokyo
2018 International School of Science · Tokyo
2018 Future of the Global Energy System, Institute for the Future · San Francisco
2016 Keizai · US-Japan Commercial Spaceflight · San Francisco
2016 Effective Altruism Summit · San Francisco
2016 Hive Global Leadership Forum · San Francisco
2016 RSA Information Security · San Francisco
2015 Hive Global Leadership Forum · San Francisco
2015 Further Future · TED Meets Burning Man · Las Vegas
2015 Hive Global Leadership Forum · San Francisco
2015 DefCon Information Security · Las Vegas
2015 Black Hat Information Security · Las Vegas
2014 The Future of Commercial Spaceflight · Silicon Valley Space Center
2014 Yuri’s Night: The First Manned Orbital Spaceflight · Los Angeles
2014 IEEE Quantum Photonics: The Next Frontier of Quantum Communications
2014 Yuri’s Night: The First Manned Orbital Spaceflight · Hawaiʻi
2012 NASA ESA JAXA Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems
2012 NASA CSF Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference · Palo Alto
2012 Quantum Information and Nanoscale Optoelectronics · Berkeley
2012 Yuri’s Night: The First Manned Orbital Spaceflight · Los Angeles
2012 Inaugural Quantum Future Technologies Conference · NASA Ames
2011 Quantum Coherence in Excitation Energy Transfer · Berkeley
2011 The Future of Spaceflight · Mobile Monday, Invited Keynote · Amsterdam
2011 Delft-Leiden Biannual Casimir Symposium · Leiden
2011 Alain Aspect: The Second Quantum Revolution · Leiden
2011 ESA-TNO Space Pier Day · The Hague
2010 Kavli-Delft Center for Bionanoscience, Founding Conference · Delft
2010 Quantum Mechanics in Higher-Dimensional Hilbert Spaces · Austria
2010 What is Real in the Quantum World? Int’l Akademie Traunkirchen · Austria
2010 NASA ESA JAXA Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems
2009 NASA ESA JAXA Japan-US Science, Technology and Space Applications Program
2009 From Foundations of Quantum Mechanics to Quantum Information · Delft
2009 DEISA Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications
2009 Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE) · Amsterdam
2008 Quantum Decoherence and Quantum Information Science · Lorentz Center
2008 Triennial Conference on Low-Temperature Condensed Matter Physics XXV
2008 International Conference on Quantum Structures · Brussels
2007 Workshop on Time Symmetry in Quantum Mechanics · Brussels
2007 Optical Fabrication Technologies, Coherence and Metrology · Switzerland
2006 The Best of Nanoscience: International Symposium for Hans Mooij · Delft
2006 SPIE Defense and Security Applications of Quantum Information Science
2005 New Computational Paradigms: Neural Nets, Quantum, Biocomputing
2005 UNESCO Physics for Tomorrow, UNESCO Headquarters · Paris
2004 RSA Information Security · Barcelona
2004 SPIE Defense and Security Applications of Quantum Information Science
2003 Gordon Research Conference on Quantum Information
2003 Quantum Information Technology IX · Tokyo
2003 International Conference on Quantum Information · Tokyo
2002 NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Quantum Chaos · Lake Como
2002 National Science Foundation Coding Theory and Quantum Computing · Vienna
2002 United Nations International Student Conference · Amsterdam
2002 International Conference on High-Energy Physics XXXI · Amsterdam
2001 World Technology Summit · London
2001 French Senate Hearing on the Future of Artificial Intelligence · Paris
2001 US Government Conference on High Performance Computing · Salishan
2001 National Security Agency · Fort Meade
⦿ Astronauts for Hire Names New Commercial Scientist-Astronaut Candidates · NASA
⦿ Astronaut scientists for hire open new research frontier in space · NASA
⦿ Flat World Navigation: The Global Digital Economy · Google
⦿ Global Leadership Forum: Closing Speech on the Future of Humanity · San Francisco
⦿ Tomorrow’s Technologies Today · OASA Hong Kong
⦿ Space Academy Mission Specialist Boot Camp · OASA Hong Kong
⦿ Student gives up cycle, heads to Japan on Japanese Fulbright · AIEJ Fulbright
⦿ Astronauts for Hire: The Emergence of a Commercial Astronaut Corps · Springer
⦿ NASA vs. the Free Market: Which is Better for American Spaceflight
⦿ Future of the Global Energy System, Expert Workshop · Institute for the Future
⦿ Orion Astropreneur Space Academy · OASA Hong Kong
⦿ State of the Future · Live two-hour radio interview
⦿ Keynote Tribute on the Future of Space Exploration · Amsterdam
⦿ US Space Force and Future Space Technologies · Space Mastery · Tokyo
⦿ Hive Global Leadership Forum, Featured Alumnus · San Francisco
⦿ Starlab — Deep Future, Discovery Channel Special · Starlab Brussels
⦿ To the Stars and Beyond, Deep Tech & AI · San Francisco
⦿ Further Future, TED Meets Burning Man · Nevada
⦿ Entangled Life · Discover Magazine
20250315
Black belt, First Class, shōdan. Certificate of recognition, as first foreigner to qualify in eight years. 認許する, Japanese traditional archery, Kyūdō, “standing Zen,” 弓道初 in formal recognition awarded by the Japanese National Kyūdō Federation, 全日本弓道連盟 while on Japanese National Fulbright Award with the Association of International Education, Japan.
20240512
Starlab: Deep Future
The 'Noah’s Ark' of scientific research that launched 1,000 startup
ideas
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Christopher Altman |
“De Brouwer’s ambition was to bring the best scientists in the world together to ‘think thoughts for the very first time.’ It was very interdisciplinary — no walls, no boundaries, no borders …” says Christopher Altman — astronaut, quantum physicist and Starlab veteran.
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Starlab “Time Travel Party,” May 2001. (L to R):
Hugo de Garis,
Serguei Krasnikov, Roman Zapatrin, Christopher Altman |
20230922

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| Discovery Channel Special |
GLOBAL INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS AWARD
At the confluence of cutting-edge science and space exploration, where magic is borne and miraculous discoveries await, an extraordinary figure emerges: autodidact polymath, protean Renaissance explorer, Christopher Altman is an American quantum technologist and NASA-trained commercial astronaut bringing tomorrow's technologies to bear on today's greatest challenges.
In vibrant Japan, immersive studies on a Japanese Fulbright Fellowship brought together the sharp contrast between the futuristic, neon-lit cityscapes of Tokyo's living cybernetic metropolis with the ancient temples, bonsai gardens, and spartan dojos where Altman practiced bushidō, the traditional Japanese martial arts disciplines of kendo, shōdan kyūdo, and judo.
In 2001, he was recruited to multidisciplinary, Deep Future research institute Starlab, where his research group's record-breaking artificial intelligence project was featured in a Discovery Channel Special, recognized with an official entry into the Guinness Book of World Records, and he was called to provide expert testimony to the French Senate, Le Sénat, on the long-term future of Artificial Intelligence.
In the aftermath of the tragic September 11 attacks, Altman volunteered, then was elected to serve as Chairman for the UNISCA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. His Chair Report to the General Assembly on the exponential acceleration of converging technologies found resonance at the highest echelons of power — at the White House, through direct meetings with US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, et al — providing early momentum for the creation of the United States Cyber Command. For his contributions to the field, he was selected as recipient for the annual RSA Information Security award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Policy the following year.
Altman was then tasked to spearhead a priority national security program in Japan, personally reporting to directors DARPA QuIST and ARDA/DTO, direct predecessor to IARPA, under mandate to create coherent national research estimates and compile long-term science and technology roadmaps for advanced research and development activity across East Asia, attending conferences including the World Technology Summit and the Gordon Research Conference, collaborating with leading scientists and Nobel laureates, and briefing US national labs researchers, policy and research funding agency leaders with a comprehensive assessment of forward-looking trends in the field. His comprehensive national quantum roadmaps went on to serve as the quintessential prototype for the creation of the official US Government Quantum Roadmap — an accolade conveyed directly by the program chair leading the initiative at Los Alamos National Labs.
20230822
Astronaut Scientists for Hire Open
New Research Frontier in Space
Source: KurzweilAI, Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, NASA Ames Research Center, with XCOR, SwRI, Association of Spaceflight Professionals, Virgin Galactic, and Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon.
At a joint press conference Monday with
Virgin Galactic
at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, XCOR, SwRI, and others,
Astronauts for Hire Inc. announced the selection of its third class of commercial
scientist-astronaut candidates to conduct experiments on suborbital flights.
Among those selected was Singularity University inaugural program faculty advisor, teaching fellow, and track chair Christopher Altman, a graduate fellow at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology.
“The selection process was painstaking,” said Astronauts for Hire Vice President and Membership Chair Jason Reimuller. “We had to choose a handful of applicants who showed just the right balance of professional establishment, broad technical and operational experience, and a background that indicates adaptability to the spaceflight environment.”
“With the addition of these new members to the organization, Astronauts for Hire has solidified its standing as the premier provider of scientist-astronaut candidates,” said its President Brian Shiro. “Our diverse pool of astronauts in training represent more than two dozen disciplines of science and technology, speak sixteen languages, and hail from eleven countries. We can now handle a much greater range of missions across different geographic regions.”
Altman completed Zero-G and High-Altitude Physiological Training under the Reduced Gravity Research Program at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley and NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and was tasked to represent NASA Ames at the joint US-Japan space conference (JUSTSAP) and the launch conference (PISCES) for an astronaut training facility on the slopes of Mauna Kea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Altman’s research has been highlighted in international press and publications including Discover Magazine and the International Journal of Theoretical Physics. He was recently awarded a fellowship to explore the foundations and future of quantum mechanics at the Austrian International Akademie Traunkirchen with Anton Zeilinger.
“The nascent field of commercial spaceflight and the unique conditions afforded by space and microgravity environments offer exciting new opportunities to conduct novel experiments in quantum entanglement, fundamental tests of spacetime, and large-scale quantum coherence,” said Altman.















