It’s easy to see how quantum advances might seem impossible, but that’s not always the case. Some researchers are making claims they can’t fulfill, citing decades of progress in other fields as evidence of their capabilities. One computer scientist, Scott Aaronson, is worried that the hype around quantum computing is contributing to a lack of progress. He writes about his fears about the hype on his blog. In this article, we’ll examine some of the most common myths of quantum computing.
Many people have argued that quantum computing has a number of challenges that hinder its implementation. Specifically, it’s difficult to maintain entanglement and superposition, two aspects of quantum computing. When you look at a qubit, it vanishes. In order to overcome this issue, scientists have developed theories on space reflection and time reversal symmetries. Likewise, they’ve documented the existence of “quantum spin liquids.”
The US has pledged to fund a National Quantum Initiative, which aims to establish 12 quantum information science and AI research centers nationwide by 2020. China also announced its aspiration to become a global quantum superpower. The Chinese recently launched the world’s first quantum satellite Micius. Ultimately, the world’s fastest computers will be able to reach the quantum state. But how can quantum computers get there?
The answer may surprise you. While quantum computers can be used to increase the speed of data, quantum computers cannot handle a large amount of data at once. This is a problem that a classical supercomputer could have solved in days. Fortunately, quantum computers are not limited by these limitations. The number of qubits and the stability of quantum states limit their usefulness. A qubit’s capacity limits the amount of computing that can be done on it.
In the meantime, quantum computers have been developing for some time. Google’s Sycamore processor used 54 qubits, but it’s been upgraded to sixty qubits in recent years. As a result, the world’s most powerful quantum computer, developed by a team of Chinese scientists, is already 100 trillion times faster than the fastest supercomputer. If it is, it will be the most powerful computer ever made.
But it’s not just the speed that matters. It’s the speed at which it performs calculations. And it has a host of other applications. Its potential to improve human life, for instance, is unmatched by any other technology. For example, the ability to direct an Uber driver to high-demand neighborhoods is one of the most important benefits of quantum computing. Similarly, the technology can help people navigate through traffic jams and direct buses around them.