[Right_Wing_Madman]

I’ll never understand how lab equipment can monitor something as small as an individual atom. Especially taking Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle into account (changing it by observing it).

Theoretically, quantum computing works because of the uncertainty principle, not in spite of it. The qubit, which is usually an electron (much smaller than an atom!), maintains a superposition state of 0 and 1 at the same time, unlike a conventional computer bit, which must be 0 or 1.

Lab equipment doesn't monitor the qubit when it's in the middle of quantum computing processing. Lab equipment measures the results of processing. Because as you and Heisenberg know, once you observe or measure the qubit, its superposition will collapse and become a known state - just like a regular computer bit (0 or 1).

[aquila48]

“Because as you and Heisenberg know, once you observe or measure the qubit, its superposition will collapse and become a known state - just like a regular computer bit (0 or 1).”

So if I store a 1 in the qubit, then when I go read it back, you say it could be a 1 or a 0. What good is that? I want to read back what I stored with 100% certainty!

I don’t see how this “superposition” is of any use in building a reliable computer.