Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard have been awarded the Turing Award, computer science's highest honor, for pioneering quantum information theory. Their contributions stemmed from a 1979 conversation in the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico's coast.
The Turing Award recognizes Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard for their foundational work in quantum information theory. This body of research has helped usher computer science into the quantum age, as noted in a Wired article published on March 18, 2026. The award highlights their role in making quantum computing conceivable, at a time when companies such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, and various startups are actively developing quantum computers and announcing progress toward this technology. In 1979, such developments seemed unimaginable. That summer, the two scientists met during an aquatic encounter off the coast of Puerto Rico. Their discussion sparked the creation of quantum information theory, laying groundwork for today's quantum computing pursuits. The Turing Award is widely regarded as the highest accolade in the field.