Not this kind...
Posted on 11/10/2005 8:07:52 PM PST by Straight Vermonter
A federal advisory committee met Wednesday for a presentation set up by IBM (NYSE: IBM - news) about quantum computers, to determine when the technology might be ready to be considered for government regulation.
The computers, which are still in the early prototype stage, make use of quantum mechanical phenomena to perform operations. It is believed that if large-scale quantum computers could be built, they could solve some problems faster than any existing computer.
In his presentation to the committee, IBM researcher David DiVincenzo compared the potential of quantum computing to the possibilities generated in 1947 when transistors were invented.
Regulation Station
In considering what type of regulations should be imposed on quantum computing, it is likely that the committee mainly will consider how to handle the export status of the machines.
During the 1990s, the U.S. government put strict controls on the export of technology, but has relaxed its stance somewhat due to the growing global economy. However, high-performance computers have been under export control since 2003.
The government has yet to decide how it will treat quantum computers, but the committee's meeting could be an indication that regulators will view the technology in the same way as high-performance computers, and put controls on its export.
Science Department
Despite the regulatory tangles it might present, the advancement of computing is important for several reasons, said Thomas Zacharia, associate laboratory director for Computing and Computational Sciences at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
"Having more power gives researchers the ability to change how science is done," he said. "It makes them think in new ways, and embark on projects that might have seemed impossible only a few years ago."
Although he did not comment on the promise of quantum computing specifically, Zacharia observed that greater processing speed, in general, has allowed researchers and scientists to explore a range of applications, and that the power has been felt across several disciplines.
"Processing power can assist projects in a huge number of fields," he said. "And the continuing advances are very exciting."
I think they meant when transistors were reverse engineered from the Roswell crash.
Unless you were a big contributer to the Clinton administration.
How long do you think they will have to wait to reveal the quantum computational capabilities they also gleaned from the Roswell crash so as to not make it seem too suspicious?
Yours is the funniest post I have seen in at least a year.
Depends on if IBM gets exclusive patents, otherwise they may let the cat out of the bag....
I hope you mean funny "HaHa" and not funny strange!
In considering what type of regulations should be imposed on quantum computing
*Shiver*
I mean I read your post and laughed real hard and even shared it with my family.
I've got a quantum computer now. All the cables are entangled and data is governed by the uncertainty principle.
LOL
Steven Wright couldn't put it any better.
Well, I suppose that will depend on what you mean by "HaHa." :)
Thanks, glad I could spread some good cheer!
Not this kind...
"David DiVincenzo compared the potential of quantum computing to the possibilities generated in 1947 when transistors were invented."
... Or to the invention of the 8-track!
This would necessarily be one of the most closely guarded secrets in the world. Whoever has access to QC can immediately break almost any cryptographic scheme (except for one-time pads and quantum cryptography). Of course the government would go to great lengths to protect this monopoly.
I believe this because 1) the N.S.A. has effectively unlimited, off-budget resources at its disposal, 2) the ability of QC to break all public-key cryptographic schemes is not a matter of conjecture; it is only a matter of engineering, and 3) the N.S.A. has recruited and cultivated many--perhaps most--of the brightest minds in the relevant fields.
How could they NOT throw unprecedented resources at this one engineering problem? If they're not there yet, they're far in the lead.
If ironic or Kovacs-lent bonds are formed then the charm and strange quarks are irretrievably comingled making it impossible to determine the exact nature of the funniness of the related comment.
It's a good question. Transparent aluminum finally made its much-anticipated debut, but we're still waiting to see when the first flux capacitors will become commercially available.
That's sort of what I was thinking, too. Only you said it better.
My first thoughts as I read the title. Once this 'cat gets out of the bag,' everyone going to need new encryption schemes.
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