IBM Tech Detects & Changes Spin of Single Electron

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IBM Tech Detects & Changes Spin of Single Electron

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday September 21, 2004 @01:55AM from the i-got-hundreds-of-those-things dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Looks like we have another step forward in Quantum Computing - IBM has discovered how to detect and change the spin of a single electron. Won't be long before we're all solving impossible encryption problems. "

38 of 334 comments (clear)

Misread this... by NoMoreNicksLeft · 2004-09-21 01:57 · Score: 5, Funny

IBM Detects and Changes Spin of Single Election.

Damn you Taco, and your politics section, it's corrupted my mind!
1. Re:Misread this... by syrinx · 2004-09-21 02:02 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Goddammit, I read "election" too. I need to stop reading political things.
  
  --
  Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
2. Re:Misread this... by geoffspear · 2004-09-21 03:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I thought it said "erection". Damn you, spam!
  
  --
  Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
Well by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 01:58 · Score: 4, Funny

... are they certain?
1. Re:Well by apikoros · 2004-09-21 02:01 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Only Heisenburg knows for sure!
Politicians everywhere are terrified! by CFD339 · 2004-09-21 02:00 · Score: 5, Funny

If spin can be measured in a meaningful way, the entire future of politics is suddenly up for grabs. Imagine a "spin detector" built into the home television!

Wow. "You spin me right round, baby right round, like a record baby, right round, round round...."

--
The problem with quotes on the internet, is that nobody bothers to check their veracity. -- Abraham Lincoln
1. Re:Politicians everywhere are terrified! by savagedome · 2004-09-21 02:01 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "You spin me right round, baby right round, like a record baby, right round, round round...."
  
  I HATE YOU. This is stuck in my head for the rest of the day now. DAMN YOU
  
  --
  
  Free XBox, PS2
So is IBM by kensai · 2004-09-21 02:00 · Score: 3, Funny

the new spin doctors? j/k
1. Re:So is IBM by twiddlingbits · 2004-09-21 02:07 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Nope. SCO still owns that title and will for a VERY long time. It's just that now IBM can measure the spin and quantify it with a number.
I'm uncertain about the article. by glrotate · 2004-09-21 02:00 · Score: 4, Funny

How can we know it's so?
Interesting.. by Marco_polo · 2004-09-21 02:01 · Score: 5, Funny

Electron 1: Oh my god! they've found us! what can we do? we are doomed!

Electron 2: Oh stop being so negative

--
I am the lord of the pun. Dance Knave!
1. Re:Interesting.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:16 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Two molecules are walking down the street and they run in to each other. One says to the other, "Are you alright?"
  
  "No I lost an electron!"
  
  "Are you sure"
  
  "I'm positive!"
2. Re:Interesting.. by Colonel+Cholling · 2004-09-21 02:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  One atom says to another, "I think I lost an electron."
  
  The second atom says, "Are you sure?"
  
  The first atom says, "Yes, I'm positive."
  
  --
  
  I am Sartre of the Borg. Existence is futile.
3. Re:Interesting.. by Geek+of+Tech · 2004-09-21 02:43 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Well aren't we just a little bit negative....
  
  --
  Stop the Slashdot effect! Don't read the articles!
4. Re:Interesting.. by big_gibbon · 2004-09-21 02:44 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  A neutron walks into a bar and orders a pint. He takes out his wallet and asks "how much will that be?"
  
  To which the barman of course replies "to you, no charge!"
  
  Thankyou, here all week, veal, etc etc . . .
  
  P
5. Re:Interesting.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:48 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  one hiv infected guy is walking down the street and bumps into a friend of his... his friend asks: "are you alright"? "No, " he replies "I'm sick" -"You sure?" the friend asks, "Yes. I'm positive"
6. Re:Interesting.. by MustardMan · 2004-09-21 04:14 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Two electrons are sitting on a bench in the park.
  A third electron comes strolling by, kinda tired, and asks "hey fellas, mind if I sit down and rest for a minute?"
  
  The two electrons, indignant, reply "OF COURSE NOT... what do we look like, a pair of BOSONS?!"
This could lead to incredibly high storage density by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:02 · Score: 5, Funny

But they will have to dramatically increase the seek time of cats before this tech will be usable as a hard drive replacement.
NO FAIR! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:02 · Score: 5, Funny

You changed the outcome by measuring it!
Re:so now that we can spin one electron by strictfoo · 2004-09-21 02:05 · Score: 2, Funny

I own a pump action golf ball cannon. I made it myself.

The Dept. of Homeland Security will be visiting you shortly.

--
I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
What's next? by Pig+Hogger · 2004-09-21 02:06 · Score: 5, Funny

Overspinning electrons to overclock systems?
No by missing000 · 2004-09-21 02:08 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm quite sure the cat knows as well.
1. Re:No by martinX · 2004-09-21 02:25 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  The cat's dead. Maybe.
  
  --
  When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
2. Re:No by Your+Pal+Dave · 2004-09-21 04:08 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Of course it's dead. It's been in that box for almost 80 years!
SCO Has Been Quoted as Saying by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:10 · Score: 2, Funny

Mine mine! All mine! Your ideas are all mine!!!
You keep using that word by American+AC+in+Paris · 2004-09-21 02:10 · Score: 4, Funny

Won't be long before we're all solving impossible encryption problems.
Were he still alive, Andre the Giant would have something to say about this sentence.

--
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
1. Re:You keep using that word by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:18 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  A joke that involves Andre The Giant, IBM, and electrons and it somehow got messed up? Inconceivable!
Re:What happens if encryption becomes impossible by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-21 02:12 · Score: 1, Funny

Send all messages by homing pigeons.
What IBM doesn't relize... by QuiK_ChaoS · 2004-09-21 02:12 · Score: 2, Funny

What IBM doesn't relize is that the electrons they are tampering with once passed through a SCO Unix system...
Tell me when.. by Antti+Luode · 2004-09-21 02:13 · Score: 3, Funny

They can change the spin on OReilly factor..
Perhaps something along the lines of... by interactive_civilian · 2004-09-21 02:18 · Score: 2, Funny

blockquoth the poster:
Were he still alive, Andre the Giant would have something to say about this sentence.
Yeah, like the following:
Original poster: Won't be long before we're all solving impossible encryption problems.
Andre the Giant: As long as someone knows where they left all the mob gems!
Stop that rhyming, I MEAN IT!

--
"Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
But... by nightsweat · 2004-09-21 02:23 · Score: 3, Funny

They don't know exactly where they did this.

--

the major advances in civilization are processes which all but wreck the societies in which they occur - A.N. White
Won't be long? by ThatsNotFunny · 2004-09-21 02:26 · Score: 4, Funny

Won't be long before we're all solving impossible encryption problems.

Who's this "we"? I still can't get my VCR to stop blinking 12:00...

--
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
I'll help you get it out by rumblin'rabbit · 2004-09-21 02:27 · Score: 4, Funny

Ready? Sing after me...
Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out so far and wide
Forget Manhatten, just give me that country side
No need to thank me.
Re:Spin doesn't come in pairs of electrons? by christowang · 2004-09-21 02:44 · Score: 2, Funny

There are two sides to every Schwartz.

"He's got the upside, I got the downside."
Re:What happens if encryption becomes impossible by Mycroft999 · 2004-09-21 03:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Seatec Astronomy
Heisenberg gets stopped... by schon · 2004-09-21 03:40 · Score: 5, Funny

Heisenberg is driving his car, when he gets pulled over by a cop. The cop asks him "Do you know how fast you were going?"

To which Heisenberg replies "No, but I know where I am!"
I tried to repeat their experiment... by new+death+barbie · 2004-09-21 04:26 · Score: 2, Funny

...and the neighbor's cat dropped dead. CURSE YOU IBM!!!

--

It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.