quantum computing – Page 10

Computer Security, cutting edge, Google, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

‘Quantum Apocalypse’: How ultra-powerful computers could cripple governments and effectively break the internet

October 12, 2019

A new era of computing could bring about a ‘quantum apocalypse’

‘Our modern systems of finance, commerce, communication, transportation, manufacturing, energy, government, and healthcare will for all intents and purposes cease to function,’ cyber security expert warns

A new era of unfathomably fast computers is just a few years away, with quantum computers set to transform the way we communicate, cure disease, and even solve problems previously thought impossible.

But some computing experts fear functional quantum computers could also effectively break the internet as we know it.

Recent progress made by Google means their arrival could be sooner than expected. A leaked research paper suggests the company has achieved what is known as quantum supremacy, whereby a quantum computer performed a calculation that was far beyond the reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers.

First theorised by the physicist Richard Feynman in 1982, quantum computers combine the peculiar properties of quantum physics with computer science to achieve processing power that is exponentially more powerful than traditional computers.

Continue reading… “‘Quantum Apocalypse’: How ultra-powerful computers could cripple governments and effectively break the internet”

Computer Security, Google, quantum computing, Record Breaker, Science & Technology News

Here’s what quantum supremacy does—and doesn’t—mean for computing

September 29, 2019

Google has reportedly demonstrated for the first time that a quantum computer is capable of performing a task beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional supercomputer in any practical time frame—a milestone known in the world of computing as “quantum supremacy.”

The ominous-sounding term, which was coined by theoretical physicist John Preskill in 2012, evokes an image of Darth Vader–like machines lording it over other computers. And the news has already produced some outlandish headlines, such as one on the Infowars website that screamed, “Google’s ‘Quantum Supremacy’ to Render All Cryptography and Military Secrets Breakable.” Political figures have been caught up in the hysteria, too: Andrew Yang, a presidential candidate, tweeted that “Google achieving quantum computing is a huge deal. It means, among many other things, that no code is uncrackable.”

Nonsense. It doesn’t mean that at all. Google’s achievement is significant, but quantum computers haven’t suddenly turned into computing colossi that will leave conventional machines trailing in the dust. Nor will they be laying waste to conventional cryptography in the near future—though in the longer term, they could pose a threat we need to start preparing for now.

Continue reading… “Here’s what quantum supremacy does—and doesn’t—mean for computing”

Computer Security, quantum computing, Record Breaker, Science & Technology News

IBM’s new 53-qubit quantum ‘mainframe’ is live in the cloud

September 27, 2019

IBM has boosted its growing stable of quantum computers with a new 53-quantum bit (qubit) device, the most powerful ever offered for commercial use.

Google announced a more powerful 72-qubit ‘Bristlecone’ model last year, but that was for its internal techies only. IBM’s, by contrast, feels significant because it can be used by absolutely anyone who can find a use for such a computer.

The new and still-to-be-named computer will sit in the company’s Quantum Computation Center in Poughkeepsie, New York State, which has recently turned into a hotbed for commercial development.

Continue reading… “IBM’s new 53-qubit quantum ‘mainframe’ is live in the cloud”

Breakthrough Thinking, cutting edge, Engineering, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

Physicists use light waves to accelerate supercurrents, enable ultrafast quantum computing

July 18, 2019

Scientists have discovered that terahertz light — light at trillions of cycles per second — can act as a control knob to accelerate supercurrents. That can help open up the quantum world of matter and energy at atomic and subatomic scales to practical applications such as ultrafast computing.

Jigang Wang patiently explained his latest discovery in quantum control that could lead to superfast computing based on quantum mechanics: He mentioned light-induced superconductivity without energy gap. He brought up forbidden supercurrent quantum beats. And he mentioned terahertz-speed symmetry breaking.

Then he backed up and clarified all that. After all, the quantum world of matter and energy at terahertz and nanometer scales — trillions of cycles per second and billionths of meters — is still a mystery to most of us.

Continue reading… “Physicists use light waves to accelerate supercurrents, enable ultrafast quantum computing”

Computer Security, Engineering, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

A quantum revolution is coming

June 4, 2019

Quantum physics, the study of the universe on an atomic scale, gives us a reference model to understand the human ecosystem in the discrete individual unit. It helps us understand how individual human behavior impacts collective systems and the security of humanity.

Metaphorically, we can see this in how a particle can act both like a particle or a wave. The concept of entanglement is at the core of much of applied quantum physics. The commonly understood definition of entanglement says that particles can be generated to have a distinct reliance on each other, despite any three-dimensional or 4-dimensional distance between the particles. What this definition and understanding imply is that even if two or more particles are physically detached with no traditional or measurable linkages, what happens to one still has a quantifiable effect on the other.

Now, individuals and entities across NGIOA are part of an entangled global system. Since the ability to generate and manipulate pairs of entangled particles is at the foundation of many quantum technologies, it is important to understand and evaluate how the principles of quantum physics translate to the survival and security of humanity.

Continue reading… “A quantum revolution is coming”

Artificial Intelligence, Biotech, quantum computing, Report, Science & Technology News

Top 10 technology trends transforming Humanity beyond cyberspace, Geospace and Space

April 6, 2019

Human interest in exploring the unknowns has always been universal and enduring. While, over the years, the nature of exploration has changed fundamentally, humans have always been keen to explore the unknown and discover new worlds: be it beyond our geographical boundaries, new trade routes, lands, or opportunities in cyberspace, geospace, and space (CGS). In pursuit of unknowns, it is our imagination, ideas, innovations, and inventions that are helping us push the boundaries of our exploration limits beyond CGS. It is the never-ending human drive that pushes us further to discover new worlds. Imagination has always been an indicator of human intelligence, and each new idea and innovation is helping us push the boundaries of human exploration further. Technology, which gives us the foundation on which we can define and design the human ecosystem beyond cyberspace, geospace, and space, is pushing these boundaries. Where would it take us in the coming years?

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IBM, quantum computing

IBM unveils its first commercial quantum computer

January 14, 2019

IBM Q System One

At CES, IBM today announced its first commercial quantum computer for use outside of the lab. The 20-qubit system combines into a single package the quantum and classical computing parts it takes to use a machine like this for research and business applications. That package, the IBM Q system, is still huge, of course, but it includes everything a company would need to get started with its quantum computing experiments, including all the machinery necessary to cool the quantum computing hardware. While IBM describes it as the first fully integrated universal quantum computing system designed for scientific and commercial use, it’s worth stressing that a 20-qubit machine is nowhere near powerful enough for most of the commercial applications that people envision for a quantum computer with more qubits — and qubits that are useful for more than 100 microseconds. It’s no surprise then, that IBM stresses that this is a first attempt and that the systems are “designed to one day tackle problems that are currently seen as too complex and exponential in nature for classical systems to handle.” Right now, we’re not quite there yet, but the company also notes that these systems are upgradable (and easy to maintain).

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AI, Engineering, New Inventions, new technology, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

20 mind- boggling facts about quantum computing everyone should read

February 27, 2018

The dream of “quantum computing” – harnessing the power of quantum-level mechanics in order to create computers far faster and more powerful than any available today – came a step closer to reality recently.

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China, communication, Computer Security, quantum computing, Space

A Chinese satellite just used quantum cryptography to make an unhackable video call between Beijing and Vienna

February 5, 2018

The Chinese “Micius” satellite has successfully set up the world’s most secure video conference, using quantum cryptography to connect scientists in Europe and China for an unhackable, intercontinental chat.

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Analysis, Art, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

A future without fakes thanks to quantum technology

July 12, 2017

Counterfeit products are a huge problem – from medicines to car parts, fake technology costs lives.

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Bitcoin, Breakthrough Thinking, Business, CIA, Google, IBM, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

Will quantum computers kill Bitcoin?

October 16, 2016

Rumors of bitcoin’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. According to a site tracking “bitcoin obituaries,” the media has proclaimed the seven-year-old cryptocurrency dead more than 100 times, yet a recent resurgence has led to a tripling in bitcoin’s price over the last year. It has survived price crashes, cyber heists and community infighting, but bitcoin’s biggest threat may still be lying dormant: quantum computers.

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