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Quantum Computing Regulation Already?
RMX writes "A new CNet article discusses the possibility of regulating quantum computing.
We already see our top tier US VCs investing in Quantum computing companies outside the country. Apparently the feds seem to think regulating the amount of technology that can be sent overseas will make the US safer." From the article: "Only rough prototypes of quantum computers presently exist. But if a large-scale model can be built, in theory it could break codes used to scramble information on the Internet, in banking, and within federal agencies. A certain class of encryption algorithms relies for security on the near-impossibility of factoring large numbers quickly. But quantum computers, at least on paper, can do that calculation millions of times faster than a conventional microprocessor. "
I have no doubt the USA, Canada, and the UK will make it illegal to own one to keep code breaking superiority with the governments' spies, rather than criminal organizations.
Does this mean that I shouldn't bother with a 28 character bank password, since it's all going to be moot anyway?
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Can't that same concept be applied to encrypting the data as well? I mean, if it can break current encryption easily, wouldn't the logic here be that it's capable of an encryption that would take even a quantum computer decades to crack? Or am I missing something here?
Once someone builds a quantum computer, and of course, we know that people can build them, then, its obvious that all combinatorial based encryption schemes are doomed and should not be used. The internet as we know it is dead and its time to get over it and figure out where to go next.
This is my sig.
sorry for posting Anonymou coward but,
I seem to remember this old technology called "the steam engine" wich was illegal to export from the UK (probably still is)
It only took a couple of years for us here in Belgium to have the first railroad outside of the UK
well actualy we had everything the UK invented within a couple of years. And they didn't even have internet back then.
Exactly. That's why restrictions on cryptography exports were lifted in the 90s, because the stupid assumption that nobody but Americans could develop strong cryptography was proven false. All the restrictions did was hinder U.S. companies in international markets.
Under the completely unresearched assumption that the U.S. currently has some lead in quantum computing, all restricting it can do is give some lead time before others catch up and then we have the same situation as we had with cryptography.
Though the article doesn't make it clear that export restrictions are going to be the main thrust. If they regulate quantum computers within the U.S... well, I can only imagine the justification (teh terrorists crack your bank account!), but the detrimental-to-U.S.-interests aspect will actually be amplified as the rest of the world uses the useful tool and the U.S. forbids it.
With any luck there will be an unexplainable outbreak of intelligence and sincerity in the government (or the appearance of such caused by commercial lobbyists) and no significant regulations come to pass.
The enemies of Democracy are
Unless the quantum computer research is regulated in a similar fashion (ie. basically setting up a secret "science town"), the peer-review process will suffer from the lack of contact with the outside world and this will inevitably lead to bad science.
The owls are not what they seem
Silcone? Is a silicone computer like some women? They're fun to watch whilst they're running? (think about it)
{back to quantum computing}
So...exporting it is the only way to regulate it?
When PGP went on the Thou Shalt Not Export List early in its life (thirteen? fourteen? fifteen? years ago), I always imported my copies. That meant either: 1) someone from the US exported it; or, 2) someone outside the US imported it. I'm not sure you can prove someone accidentally left a copy unprotected on a server.
Happy POETS Day!
An enlightened tech policy would fund cheap quantum computing. Then everyone could convert breakable encrypted data to new, less breakable encryption. The "democratization" of the tech, with Americans better encrypted than elsewhere, would not only protect national security, but fuel economic security, as foreigners looked to America for security, both tech and legal.
Instead, our Congress and White House are run by paranoid morons whose musclebound response to any crisis is to suppress and destroy. Which is just making us less safe, discrediting us, and funding our enemies and rivals. Fortunately, it's only 12 months until 1/3 of Congress is up for election. If we get rid of these dangerous morons, maybe we'll have a chance to keep an American brand on the future. Because the "Middle Ages" is a moving window that America is rapidly coming to define.
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make install -not war
Not true: Google for "quantum repeater".
taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!
I think we're in a bad way here. Recently, especially in the US, everything and everyone has become more conservative - not in the political sense, but in the sense of "I want to maintain the status quo!" Previously, huge advances in technology were liberating, eventually wonderful (albeit disruptive) events for humanity.
However, now whenever we make progress, we try and chain it down as much as possible to avoid anything changing. The Internet and digital content is a great example. Inventing the equivalent of a global Library of Alexandria, where everyone has access to all information, and transferring and copying information from place to place was easy and cheap, should have been a cause for celebration. We should have all rejoiced that now humanity was free to share all its ideas and art with everyone on the planet. But instead, we get legal and technological attempts to hamper that ability as much as possible, because it upsets the status quo. I imagine the same thing would happen if someone had come up with "replicators" that could feed and clothe the needy - they would instantly be controlled and limited so that they didn't disrupt the way things were, despite the obvious boon to humanity.
Now it's the same thing with quantum computing - we've eliminated another scarcity (processing power) and instead of celebrating the freedom we go about trying hard to restrict it so that it's like we never made the breakthrough.
There's a part in 1984 where it's revealed that the endless war is really just a means for burning through the surplus of materials and labor that a technologically advanced society has, so that people can be kept poor and overworked. While I doubt there's a conspiracy behind these current restrictions (besides the conspiracy of the status quo) I think the parallels are interesting.
This, to me, is the number one compelling reason for progress - so we can get rid of all the people whose power depends on keeping us from progressing.
I yearn for you tragically. A. T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.
For those of you who may be wondering why we want quantum computers, it's not because breaking encryption is all that useful. The real revolution will come with it's ability to simulate quantum mechanical systems, they will make it possible to simulate and design molecules much larger than today and could revolutionize molecular biology and nanotechnology. It's still not known if the increase in speed is only possible with quantum computers or if better classical algorithms may do the trick though.