Quantum computer to debut next Tuesday?

Remember where you were when you heard about Steorn? Us neither. (Yet.) Kind of the same with D-Wave, which, as you may recall, claims to be the first and only "commercial" quantum computing venture; despite a low hanging cloud of skeptical academics, D-Wave is claiming next Tuesday it'll finally debut the first quantum computer: a 16 qubit processor capable of 64,000 simultaneous calculations in quantum space(s). What's a qubit? Why, it's the quantum computer measurement equivalent of a conventional computer's bit (i.e. more (qu)bits = more data and processes), but we're not even going to insult your intelligence by pretending to understand how a many-hundreds qubit quantum computer could supposedly solve more operations than the universe has atoms. We just know that a quantum computer has yet to be built, has the potential to revolutionize the way we understand and use computation -- and with any luck D-Wave's supposed machine will be promptly put to work analyzing weather patterns so we'll know the exact climate this time next year and not buy the wrong things when this year's fall lines come out. That is, if it doesn't open up a black hole, or something.

[Via Slashdot]

[jamend @ Feb 8th 2007 7:53PM]

Yeah right. Have we already forgotten about the "AtomChip" laptops?

[Gary Z @ Feb 8th 2007 7:56PM]

AtomChips: "We spent so much on research, we have no money left for 'special effects' like your 'scrolling text' "

[Adam @ Feb 8th 2007 7:57PM]

Jesus Incarnate

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Feb 8th 2007 8:05PM]

Quantum computing! Perfect to support the Reality Distortion Field roadmap. One in every iPhone!

[Chris @ Feb 8th 2007 10:26PM]

I'm waiting for the SEP field generator, though we'll need to figure out how to harness the radiated power from bistro-math first.

[LukeA @ Feb 8th 2007 8:14PM]

qubit - the distance from the inside of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

[RyS @ Feb 9th 2007 11:25PM]

Hopefully you're attempting to be funny.

The cubit is equal to the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, approximately 43-56 cm or 17-22 in.

Now a qubit is a subatomic particle that performs computation. More elaborately, an elementary particle such as an electron or photon that can store data and perform computational tasks within a quantum computer's processor and memory.

[MJK @ Feb 8th 2007 8:16PM]

SKYNET?!?!

[EchoNoise @ Feb 8th 2007 8:18PM]

Can it run Duke Nukem Forever?

[Jonathan Sundy @ Feb 8th 2007 8:21PM]

I already got my quantum quad-screen laptop from lieberman like 6 months ago. Hooray www.go-l.com. It's got this great unique stone on top too.

Anyway, the coolest thing about quantum computers imho is that in theory 1 could crack any and all current encryption schemes ridiculously fast, rendering them all useless. Of course quantum computers also bring the possibility of quantum encryption which last I read could be theoretically unbreakable.

[greg @ Feb 8th 2007 8:44PM]

just like HD DVD encryption......lol

[GBlade @ Feb 8th 2007 8:50PM]

actually quatum computation and quantum encryption are completely different. Some speculate that there is already a quantum encryption link between the white house and the pentagon. What's really cool is that a quantum computer could theoretically model and predict any natural phenomama

[Matt @ Feb 8th 2007 8:22PM]

how come we never see anythign from atomchip in action? oh yeah cause its fake!

[Lee @ Feb 8th 2007 8:40PM]

>> (i.e. more (qu)bits = more data and processes)

engagdet, engagdet...c'mon...everybody knows that more qubits means more trouble for Ugg and Coily...do your research!

//me shuffels off to find some more quarters

[Will @ Feb 8th 2007 8:51PM]

The only way to get 64,000 simultaneous calculations out of a 16 qubit processor is through electron entanglement, at least if they're using quantum dots as a means for measurement and manipulation. While quantum dots are the only feasible way I could see a solid state quantum processor working in order to make it cheap enough to sell, precision entanglement is no easy (ie cheap) task. This can't be legit.

[zetha @ Feb 8th 2007 8:52PM]

poor nsa

[RichardC @ Feb 8th 2007 9:08PM]

I can see it now...
Packed auditorium. The lights dim. The curtain starts rising on the stage. And we all hear….

“Here I am brain the size of a planet and they have me controlling curtains on some stage…”

[Waruwaru @ Feb 8th 2007 9:09PM]

C:\> What is the ultimate Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?

[tetu81 @ Feb 8th 2007 9:14PM]

42.

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 8th 2007 10:02PM]

It's not the answer, but the question that you should find...

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Feb 8th 2007 9:36PM]

The inevitable:

But can it run Linux?

[andy @ Feb 8th 2007 9:50PM]

yes but does it generate its own warp field?

[foureight84 @ Feb 8th 2007 9:51PM]

but can it run doom?

[Will @ Feb 8th 2007 10:19PM]

Quantum computation and quantum encryption are not all that different. They are different from the traditional views of computation and encryption. As you don't really have to "decrypt" a quantum "encryption" scheme. They both work on the same principle of entanglement. At the moment quantum computers happen to use electrons while quantum encryption generally uses photons. But it doesn' have to be this way. However, in application computers compute and encryption is used to protect informatino transfer, thats the real difference.

[js @ Feb 8th 2007 10:27PM]

Is it smarter than the Playstation 3?

[Ndisi08 @ Feb 8th 2007 10:42PM]

Anyone read the book "Double Vision" before?

RSA encryption is down the drain.
Now Big Brother will continue to spy on us. Damn you Big Brother!

[PEZ @ Feb 8th 2007 10:42PM]

Does it have tits? Cus if it does, I wanna.

[Karl @ Feb 8th 2007 11:14PM]

"Announcing Windows 2012,

Minimum Specifications:
- Deep Thought

Recommended Specifications:
- The Earth"

[Dan @ Feb 9th 2007 1:47AM]

Electron entanglement clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is ...

[Maxx @ Feb 9th 2007 1:59AM]

Doesnt the Quantum state change if measured ?

[Tom @ Feb 9th 2007 4:02AM]

Quantum entanglement - I dont see how they could use this in any way. The states of a system of, say, 2 electrons (entangled) ensures that their quantum state can never be shared, so if one elctron has spin -1, and the other +1, if ONE reverses it's spin, so does the other one, simultaneously, regardless of their distance apart. This might seem lika a snazzy way to transport information, but it's been proven impossible to influence the spin or other quantum states of these entangled systems... so, nice theory as it is, it wonr happen :(

[Lucky @ Feb 9th 2007 5:56AM]

So it's possible that Windows Vista has found the right hardware to run! :)
Apart of all, i think that it could be the great jump

[blaQ @ Feb 9th 2007 8:16AM]

EchoNoise @ Feb 8th 2007 8:18PM

Can it run Duke Nukem Forever?
^^^haha good one.

THE FUTURE IS HERE PEOPLE.....get John Connor on the phone.

[tekdroid @ Feb 9th 2007 9:15AM]

kwod quore?

[Makurosu @ Feb 9th 2007 10:54AM]

Deep Thought: Speak.
Lunkwill: O, Deep Thought, Computer, the task we have designed you to perform is this. We want you to tell us the Answer.
Deep Thought: The Answer? The Answer to what?
Fook: Life!
Lunkwill: The Universe.
Fook: Everything!
Deep Thought: Tricky.

[Stephan @ Feb 9th 2007 12:05PM]

Quantom Cryptography (encryption) already exist and in a commercial version. Basically the idea is that this really does make it impossible to hack into something unnoticed!
http://hackreport.net/2006/12/13/quantum-cryptography-its-some-kind-of-magiq/

[Evan Brom @ Feb 9th 2007 12:23PM]

How does this non-digital math work? What gates are there (and, or not, xor?) This new reality is shatter my views of the world!

[Fallers @ Feb 9th 2007 2:59PM]

it was created by Dr. Sam Beckett so must be true

[Don @ Feb 9th 2007 5:03PM]

A Shortcut Through Time: the Path to the Quantum Computer
by George Johnson, is a nice and easy read into a strange and exciting subject.

[Paul Calvo @ Feb 10th 2007 8:53AM]

quantum quad-screen laptop - and the STEORN effect Remember where you were when you heard about Steorn?

[Ivan @ Feb 10th 2007 9:39PM]

But can it run Crysis?

[sisco @ Feb 8th 2007 8:18PM]

More like, can it run Doom yet?

[bendaniel @ Feb 11th 2007 4:37PM]

Well, there goes the world's encryption! Time to pull your money out of your bank and hide it in under the bed!

[Manny @ Feb 13th 2007 7:45AM]

I know whats coming next... "The PS4 Now with quantum computing!!!! So smart It doesn't need YOU!!!!" It is the future.

[Jason @ Feb 20th 2007 3:11PM]

Finally something that can run Vista!!! lol