Posted on 12/09/2015 3:33:55 PM PST by BenLurkin
The actual problem that computer scientists threw at the D-Wave Two is pretty esoteric. To oversimplify it, they asked the machine to pick the optimum choice out of a large jumble of information with nearly 1,000 variables. Such optimization problems, which involve weighing multiple choices against each other, should be far, far easier for quantum computers to crunch. That's because the basis of quantum computation, the qubit, uses the odd physics of quantum mechanic to hold information as a zero, one, or a superposition of both. Again, to over-simplify things, this allows quantum computers to consider a vast number of options at the same time.
In person, the room-sized D-Wave Two gurgles and rumbles a low tone, almost like a refrigerator working overtime. In some ways, that's exactly what it is. To harness the quantum effects on the superconducting material that makes up the machine's 1,097 qubits, the D-Wave's guts are kept at almost absolute-zero, about 150 times colder than deep space.
Although the D-Wave Two's 100,000,000-fold speed-up for a very specific problem is undoubtedly impressive, it's still just a partial vindication of the technology. Rupak Biswas, who heads the NASA side of the D-Wave research, explains that the D-Wave Two is still not a quantum computer in the strict sense of the words.
In a full-fledged quantum computer all the qubits would be strung together, but the D-Wave Two's 1,097 qubits are not all connected, he says. "Each qubit is only connected to 6 other qubits in the machine," Biswas says. That produces error-corrected information that's passed on to other qubit groups. Because of this constrained setup, Biswas explains, NASA and Google researchers haven't yet reached the point where they can put the D-Wave Two to practical use beyond super specific tasks
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Remember folks this is what they admit to the public.
My understanding is they are far ahead of this. This is their “prep” for the public.
LOL!
Now you know why the politicians are so overly confident. LOL!
Wow. Just think they can data mine the intimate details of your life, monitor you and serve you ads faster than ever before. Amazing.
Don’t . lose . the password !
And what about backing it up? We’re gonna need a bigger thumb drive!
As long as it results in my Lydia AI, I’m good with it. Now if we could just get Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to buy out Real Doll and do a merger with Google, we’d have Sammich makin’ terminator sexbots in no time.
Funny you should ask, because I have always noted that since the transistor, all our computational devices are rooted in QM, meaning that their design and fabrication is all according to quantum theory.
The so called quantum computer claims to use the parameters of quantum theory itself, that is quantum "amplitudes", as the parameters in the computational algorithm, and this is something altogether different.
In this sense the quantum computer is an ANALOG computer. ANALOG, in its original sense means that the computational device emulates the laws governing the problem being solved, and I believe this holds true for these putative quantum computers. They do not represent an alternative to digital computation as we practice it.
Mu understanding of it, extremely limited as it is as I am no physicist, is that the traditional analog/digital computer deals (in a sense) in fact. Binary 1/0.
Quantum computers (QC) deals in probabilities. Every ‘thing’ per se, has a wave in the probability field of possibilities. Of which there are an infinite number. Each of those ‘things’ is a possible reality. The Schrodinger’s cat thing. It’s alive AND dead until someone observes it, the probability wave collapses and the probability becomes ‘real’ IE, comes into existence.
Among these infinite of possible states, other factors/states of other possibilities interact and effect each other. As such, some things become more possible than others/their probability wave will ‘collapse’ and they become real/true/factual.
Confusing? Yup. Fascinating stuff to ponder though. The pop sci books by Kip Thorne and Michu Kaiku make some sense of it all for the non genius though. Well as much ‘sense’ as one can make I guess. All of this is about 3 multiverses away from conventional thinking.
My understanding is exactly the opposite ... quantum computing is a giant flapdoodle. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.
You are correct. Total bunk. My BIL is an ultra-lefty physicist that works on this crap and says that the idiots that don't believe in QC are on the level of climate change deniers.
I did a LOT of research on QC (as an engineer it was fascinating at first), but found out it really WAS like global warming - a scam by college/government teat suckers to get more and more money for decades on end, always saying that their results would be shown in just another 10 years.
Let me explain why QC is impossible on the face of it - simply observing quantum particles will change their "value", therefore any answer to anything you feed this "computer" will be invalidated as soon as it is observed. It's just physics, and there is no way around it. So, don't worry. Our encryption methods are still good as long as we stay ahead of the normal computing tech curve.
I wish you were right but you are not. It’s very real and will begin to emerge in the public in 8 years. Then 5 years from that point it will be everywhere. Kind of like Smart Phones but a lot faster. This is because the machines, automation, drones and the robots will be doing all the work.
The only reason for the mixed message is simply to avoid debate.
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