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NASA Backs Quantum Computing Claim

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the but-they-did-not-shoot-the-deputy dept.

narramissic writes "Canadian startup D-Wave's demonstration via Web link of a prototype quantum computer in mid-February was met with skepticism in the academic community, but NASA has confirmed that it did, in fact, build a special chip used in the disputed demonstration. According to an article on ITworld, D-Wave designed the quantum chip and then contracted with NASA to build it."

5 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Does that NASA built a chip mean anything? by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Informative

    Does it mean the chip works, and it actually performs quantum calculations? I see nothing in the TFA where NASA confirms or denys the actual function of the chip, just that they made it based on D-Wave's design.

    I still don't see any proof that anyone computed anything quantumly. How hard is this to prove, anyways, to all the quantum physicists in the house?

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    1. Re:Does that NASA built a chip mean anything? by sco08y · · Score: 5, Informative

      How hard is this to prove, anyways, to all the quantum physicists in the house?

      IANAQP, but I think it's pretty hard to prove given that you can simulate a quantum computer with a classical computer. (Source.)

      But, if you have lots of qbits then you can simply argue that it's running too fast to be a simulation:

      "Take for example a system of only a few hundred qubits, this exists in a Hilbert space of dimension ~1090 that in simulation would require a classical computer to work with exponentially large matrices (to perform calculations on each individual state, which is also represented as a matrix), meaning it would take an exponentially longer time than even a primitive quantum computer." (ibid)

      So I'm thinking that when they get to their 64 or 128 qbit device that we know for certain that it's genuine.

      I wonder how long it'll be before Intel and Motorola are selling quantum computers and arguing about the qbit myth?

  2. Re:contracted NASA?? by Seumas · · Score: 5, Funny

    How else is NASA supposed to afford diapers?!

  3. Re:Existence does not imply functionality. by Bobzibub · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, it would simultaniously crash into Mars and not.

    Go Team Canada!

  4. Scientists Develop First Irish Computer by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, you see me boy, they did and they didn't. Or, t'was and 'twasn't, or, to be sure, to be sure, they might've but they mightn't've.

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]