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Light-based Quantum Circuit Does Basic Maths

Stochastism writes "In yet another small step toward realistic quantum computing Australian researchers have developed a light based 4-qubit quantum computer. It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five. 'The quantum circuit pioneered by the Queensland researchers involves using a laser to send "entangled" photons through a linear optical circuit ... The Queensland research group acknowledged that the theorised code cracking ability of quantum computers may be why Australian quantum computer research is in part funded by a US government defence intelligence agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).'"

198 comments

  1. How many maths does it do? by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seven! It does seven maths!

    1. Re:How many maths does it do? by thatseattleguy · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Ever hear of "two countries divided by a common language"?

      one quick reference here
      There are various accepted abbreviations for the word mathematics, and one is as good as any other. In Germany, the abbreviation is "Mathe," in Britain and Canada, it is "maths," and in the USA, it is "math."

      /tsg/

    2. Re:How many maths does it do? by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Yes, I'm not an idiot. I'm familiar with the different renderings of math/maths. Ever hear of comedy for the sake of comedy?

    3. Re:How many maths does it do? by dr-suess-fan · · Score: 1

      When I was in high school and post-secondary in Canada, it was always math. I honestly have only heard the term maths in the last few years.

      It just sounds all wrong to me. Oh, nevermind, I'm off to have a baths.

    4. Re:How many maths does it do? by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 2, Funny

      When you are in the bathematics make sure you don't use all the hot waters.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    5. Re:How many maths does it do? by GeekZilla · · Score: 1

      "Seven! It does seven maths!"

      You forgot the maniacal laughter ala "The Count" on Sesame Street.

      --
      Veritas patesco per quaestio questio. Truth is revealed through questions.
    6. Re:How many maths does it do? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      Ever hear of "two countries divided by a common language"?

      "who then proceed to poke fun of each other over any minor difference"?

      Yes, I've heard of it.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    7. Re:How many maths does it do? by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 1

      "Mathematics" and "maths" are two different words with different usages geographically. All you've shown is that the latter is derived from the former.

      Here's a cookie.

    8. Re:How many maths does it do? by DarkIye · · Score: 1

      Hah. Silly Americans, capable of understanding only one mathematic. Britain's already up to its fifteenth!

    9. Re:How many maths does it do? by sYkSh0n3 · · Score: 1

      Lighten up. It is a word, i'm sure it was used correctly. But that does change the fact that to Americans, where it's generally just "math" it reads like a LOLCATZ picture.

      "I'M DOIN UR MATHS!"

    10. Re:How many maths does it do? by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 1

      Strange, us only have one mathematic, yet we managed to crash a hundred million dollar Mars explorer by confusing mathematics. It's the American dream: anything is possible!

    11. Re:How many maths does it do? by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 1

      Welcome to the conversation. You may want to read through the entire thread before deciding to reply in disagreement to the only person in the thread who actually agrees with you.

      Idiot.

  2. But... by SiriusStarr · · Score: 5, Funny

    More importantly, can it run Crysis?

    --
    Fear the penguin.
    1. Re:But... by Cornflake917 · · Score: 0

      Judging from the way it runs on my laptop, probably not.

    2. Re:But... by Cctoide · · Score: 0

      On good days, but it has the unfortunate side-effect of making every enemy in the game a walking Schrödinger's Cat experiment.

      --
      "Let's face it, it's a good story. Accuracy would kill it."
    3. Re:But... by DeadDecoy · · Score: 0

      And less importantly, can it run Vista?

    4. Re:But... by ArAgost · · Score: 0

      and more important again, does it run linux? Also, if I put a beowulf cluster of these in a room and close it, what's the status of the cat?

    5. Re:But... by rjames13 · · Score: 0

      More importantly, can it run Crysis?

      Nice Joke but more importantly we should be asking these sort of questions more and more. Giving a quantum computer only a limited set of abilities is silly. If quantum computers are to take over from our current ones then we will need to look at how they can be used to run our current applications and perhaps even run them at mind boggling speed. Recalculating spreadsheets, Running databases, Rendering 3D scenes, Encoding and Decoding media etc are all areas that we could possibly use quantum computers for. I'm sure you could think of many more.

    6. Re:But... by SiriusStarr · · Score: 0

      Indeed, I just felt strangely compelled to make a joke and get modded offtopic. (My karma was getting to high for my taste.) My concern with quantum computing (other than the fact that it will render all modern cryptography obsolete) is storage media. We are talking about the total obseletion (cool! I invented a word!) of binary computing. How do you make a storage medium that can store super-positions? What's the point of having a quantum computer if you can only read in binary data? I mean, finding prime roots is great and all, but these computers are not going to be terribly useful if all they can do is crack codes.

      --
      Fear the penguin.
    7. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hah! Tell that to the NSA!

    8. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or Doom?

    9. Re:But... by rjames13 · · Score: 1

      OT: I have good Karma because I can't be bothered to use my old account with High Karma

      Yes the storage question is interesting, it is also related to the length of time that we can contain(is that the right word?) Quantum entanglement to do the original calculations. The more I think about this the more I think do we need to store the data outside of the system, why not just recalculate it again each time we need it? Of course then we have the problem of how do we transmit the data from system to system? Where do we store the programming for the Quantum system? Can we use some sort of binary Quantum hybrid?

    10. Re:But... by SiriusStarr · · Score: 0

      I'm sure it's possible, but storing quantum information in binary format would likely be very inefficient.

      --
      Fear the penguin.
  3. having trouble with the conversion by User+956 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In yet another small step toward realistic quantum computing Australian researchers have developed a light based 4-qubit quantum computer.

    4 qubits? How much is that in furlongs?

    hectares?

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:having trouble with the conversion by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 3, Informative

      1 qubit = 1 bit, I believe

    2. Re:having trouble with the conversion by snl2587 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Of course I get the joke, but for reference:

      Wikipedia: Qubit

    3. Re:having trouble with the conversion by Colourspace · · Score: 1

      Its 10^-900 worth of the library of congress. Happy?

    4. Re:having trouble with the conversion by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

      The similarity to bits only occurs once you open the box.
      Until that point a cubit represents a dead cat.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    5. Re:having trouble with the conversion by snl2587 · · Score: 1

      Roughly, except that a qubit can be 0, 1, or a superposition of both.

    6. Re:having trouble with the conversion by GeekZilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wasn't Noah's ark 300 qubits? Noah was the man! Take that Silicon Devil!

      --
      Veritas patesco per quaestio questio. Truth is revealed through questions.
    7. Re:having trouble with the conversion by Intron · · Score: 4, Funny

      -- Wanted --
      Schrödinger's Cat
        Dead or Alive

      --
      Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
    8. Re:having trouble with the conversion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me pull out the Bible. I remember something like that mentioned there!

    9. Re:having trouble with the conversion by Starayo · · Score: 1
      Let me fix that for you.

      -- Wanted --
      Schrödinger's Cat
      Dead and Alive
      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    10. Re:having trouble with the conversion by infinite9 · · Score: 1

      4 qubits? How much is that in furlongs?

      I don't know. But all this talk about those guys is australia is really pointless. Noah did this 4000 years ago already.

      How many qubits was the ark anyway?

      --
      Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
  4. Maths? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not mathematics, Zonk? Why do you hate America?

    1. Re:Maths? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same reason as the rest of us...

  5. Moore's law by pwnies · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder if Moore's law will apply to the number of qubits within a quantum computer as well. A 1024 qubit computer within the next 20 years would be nice.

    1. Re:Moore's law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      It will be nice. But it still won't be able to figure out if that email message you got is spam, not spam, or some combination of both until you read it.

    2. Re:Moore's law by moderatorrater · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nobody would ever be able to use 1024 qubits.

      -moderatorrater, 2007

    3. Re:Moore's law by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 2, Informative

      Probably not. Moore's law is a very specific and narrow-focused trend regarding the number of transistors that can be placed on a chip to achieve the highest cost effectiveness. Any major shift in technology (i.e. away from traditional transistors) will have it's own completely different trend. There's no inherent trait in computing as a whole that gives rise to Moore's law.

      --
      The laws of probability forbid it!
    4. Re:Moore's law by GeekZilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Four Qubits should be enough for anyone."

      --
      Veritas patesco per quaestio questio. Truth is revealed through questions.
    5. Re:Moore's law by Nazlfrag · · Score: 1

      Just wait till the RIAA finds out you've been representing every single sample they ever made simultaneously. I'm pretty sure a fine of $150,000 * (2 ^ 1024) would be seen as fair and reasonable compensation by an impartial court.

    6. Re:Moore's law by gd2shoe · · Score: 1

      There have been a number of similar patterns within computing. Memory and Hard disk densities come to mind. While memory density may also be linked to transistors, hdd density is not.

      I think the question was valid. While it wont be "Moore's Law" technically, it may well follow a predictable exponential trend.

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    7. Re:Moore's law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ssh! the future is listening!

    8. Re:Moore's law by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 1

      Well if your only requirement for somethings to be "Moore's Law"-ey is that it follows an exponential curve, then there are thousands of things that follow Moore's Law. Just as there are plenty of things, even computer related, that do not follow, such as memory latency.

      I guess I just have a general aversion to using the terminology of Moore's Law instead of just saying exponential growth. Moore's Law is a very specific observation on the cost effectiveness of transistor count per chip (not density specifically) where low transistor counts suffer from higher cost per transistor and high transistor counts suffer from low yield, and how that sweet spot of transistor count is increasing exponentially with time. Moore's Law is fundamentally an economic limit, not a fundamental physical or technical limit.

      --
      The laws of probability forbid it!
    9. Re:Moore's law by Nextraztus · · Score: 1

      No, but it can tell you that it is both spam and not spam.

  6. *Yes* by moogied · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Tens of thousands of years of evolution and FINALLY are quantum computers can do the same level math as apes.

    Hazzah! Truly the golden era is upon us!

    Slashdot Disclaimer: I relize this is actually a very important and crucial step in quantum computing. ITS A JOKES

    --
    So basically, -1 troll/offtopic is really slashdots way of saying "I hate that you thought of something before me."
  7. Err by zsouthboy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I was under the impression that we couldn't simply use PHOTONS as qubits - because while photons do have a quantum state, they get all...destroyed.

    Of course, the article doesn't help.

    Anyone?

    1. Re:Err by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 5, Informative

      You can use ANY quantum mechanical system with two discrete states as a qubit, just as you can use any classical mechanical/electric system with two discrete states as a bit.

      Typically with photons, it consists of the direction of polarization of the electro-magnetic field associated with the photon. Straight up and down represents one state, horizontal represents the the second state, and the photon can be in a superposition of both of these states.

      Saying that photons get "destroyed" is irrelevant so long as we can measure the photon's polarization when it gets destroyed because as soon as we measure the polarization, the quantum state of the photon is destroyed anyway and becomes worthless to us. This is true of any quantum mechanical system, so whether the system representing the qubit sticks around or disappears after being measured (whether a photon, electron spin, or otherwise), is only a matter of logistics of the quantum computer, not of the actual computation.

      --
      The laws of probability forbid it!
    2. Re:Err by TeatimeofSoul · · Score: 1

      There is described in Nature, Vol. 409 (2001), pp. 46-52 - "A scheme for efficient quantum computation with linear optics" by Knill, Laflamme and Milburn something which is called a linear optical quantum computer. The way the word linear is mentioned in the article makes it sound like they're using some variation of this.

      In that case, qubits are represented by a photon traveling down (a superposition of) either one of two paths (a dual rail). On these paths you place basic linear optical elements: phase-retardation plates, beamsplitters and mirrors. To implement logical gate, in the simplest scheme, you entangle the outcome of a passage through a combination of linear optical elements with some other photons, see which detector those photons trigger, and start from the beginning if they didn't take the right path (so it's a bit of a cheat). Essentially \hat{path}|input>|other photons>=\alpha|correct output>|other photons at correct detector>+\beta|false output>|other photons elsewhere>.

      A way around this is to use as input some photons prepared into a cluster state, which is very clever but no less of a cheat.

    3. Re:Err by amb1978 · · Score: 1

      Not really... If at any time during the computation you have a limited amount of photons and as you measure them you keep throwing more in... well... that's not gonna work, because the amount of information you would need to describe such system at any given time would not increase with the number of qubits that the computation takes, therefore it can be simulated in a classical computer therefore is not giving you anything more than classical power. The power of quantum computers will only be harnessed when all qubits coexit at a given time. That you cannot simulate efficiently as the number of qubits grow, and that's giving you the power of QC. This is why I am reluctant that scalable quantum computation will occur with photons... It's too difficult to create single photons on-demand.

    4. Re:Err by kmac06 · · Score: 1

      As I type this I'm working in the lab on a single-photon on-demand source :). Theoretical output is P(one photon)>80%, P(>=2 photons)2%, and we should be able to do better than this with better (more expensive) optics. The photons are created with a well-defined spatial mode, timing, wavelength, and polarization.

    5. Re:Err by amb1978 · · Score: 1

      That sounds impressive, but still, I don't see how can that be scalable. Performing a quantum computation with n qubits you're gonna need to generate n photons simultaneously (apart from error correcting codes, which I'm gonna neglect), so the probability of success will go as P=p^n -> 0 where p is the probability of success in generating a single one. Therefore, as n grows large, the success probability goes to zero. In other words, you'll need better success probability for ever larger computations. In that sense I think that this is not scalable. It is not my intention to underestimate the relevance of your achievement, which may be useful for many other applications such as cryptograpghy... but the way I see it, not QC.

    6. Re:Err by kmac06 · · Score: 1

      I disagree. Presumably, once something like this is working, the performance can and will be improved upon. Also, a classical computer can only fully simulate something like 12 qubits (maybe even less, like 8, I don't remember), so it doesn't have to scale that much to be useful for quantum simulations. For decrypting RSA, then yes, scaling to 1024+ bits would be a bit more challenging to say the least.

    7. Re:Err by amb1978 · · Score: 1

      I disagree. Presumably, once something like this is working, the performance can and will be improved upon. But you will need to approach unit success probability for ever larger computations, to keep the overall success probability close to 1. In that sense I feel this is not scalable.

      Also, a classical computer can only fully simulate something like 12 qubits (maybe even less, like 8, I don't remember), so it doesn't have to scale that much to be useful for quantum simulations. For decrypting RSA, then yes, scaling to 1024+ bits would be a bit more challenging to say the least. I agree on the limitations of classical computing, and I agree that photon QC may be useful for solving small enough problems, but I think that is not the issue. My point is that with this scheme you cannot improve the complexity class of any problem. Say you have at any given time n photons flying around and you keep throwing photons in as you measure them, so the total amount of photons involved in the final computation is N (maybe much larger than n). Still, the relevant number in order to compare with a classical computer (CC) will be n, since that is what the CC needs to remember at any given time, and that is what determines the difficulty to simulate time evolution. So scaling N doesn't make a difference for a classical computer. That can be afforded with a linear increase in time. What a CC cannot deal with efficiently is scaling n, and there is where QC should improve. As I said, to achieve that with photons you need to increase the success probability of single photon emission to arbitrarily close to 1.
  8. Re:MATH by LMacG · · Score: 2, Informative

    I dare you to take that umbrage to the UK or Australia.

    --
    Slightly disreputable, albeit gregarious
  9. Re:MATH by MoonBuggy · · Score: 1

    I really can't tell if you're joking or not. I hope you are.

  10. Huh? by RecoveredMarketroid · · Score: 3, Funny

    It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.
    Prime roots of three and five? Boy, the quantum world is weird!...

    Parse error! Parse error!
    1. Re:Huh? by swillden · · Score: 1

      It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.
      Prime roots of three and five? Boy, the quantum world is weird!...

      And fifteen, too. The roots of fifteen, three and five are all irrational, and since primes are integral and therefore rational, none of them can be prime.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    2. Re:Huh? by Fx.Dr · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Ask it to divide by zero or the cat gets it!"

      The cat was both shot, and not. It was half a tragedy. We all cried furiously, and didn't.

    3. Re:Huh? by ELProphet · · Score: 1

      "It has calculated the prime roots of fifteen, [which are] three and five."

      Maybe a quantum neural network can parse all languages to loglan, and there'll be no more ambiguity on the interwebs, ever!

    4. Re:Huh? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      Or people could just learn to use punctuation better instead of using the comma as a catch-all separator, for example "It has calculated the prime roots of fifteen: three and five". Not that I ever do that. *whistle*

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    5. Re:Huh? by Alsee · · Score: 1

      calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.
      Parse error!


      I think they mean factor, not root. That makes the parse error go away.

      Based on that assumption, I tried the calculations myself. I've been able to solve the last two (one answer is {3} and the other is {5}), but that first one is a real bitch to solve. I think the answer might involve more than one number.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  11. Translation from Australian for our US friends: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Original Text:

    "If you're using the current technology for sending information, and you want your information to be private 30 years from now, I would be very worried by this,"

    Translated Text:

    "Give us all your money DARPA."

  12. Re:MATH by PolarBearFire · · Score: 1

    It's just copy pasted from ZDNet Australia, poster didn't change anything. Australia spoke English, last time I checked.

  13. Re:MATH by Dahamma · · Score: 3, Informative

    Sorry, wrong. Math and maths are both colloquialisms, and neither is more valid than the other. Just Britith vs American english tendencies, mostly.

    http://www.answers.com/maths&r=67

    Thanks fo the rant, though.

  14. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Actually, MathS is used by the British, Indians and presumably other commonwealth nations.

  15. Re:MATH by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

    As a native English speaker living in England could you tell me which part of England says "math" where "maths" is meant?

    Or did you mean 'non-native' to mean those speaking the American-English dialect?

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  16. Re:MATH by EverStoned · · Score: 1

    And I hate it when those damn non-native speakers confuse "chips" and "fries", drive on the wrong side of the road and pronounce things the way that they're spelled.

  17. Me too! by Daffy+Duck · · Score: 5, Funny

    It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.

    I, too, have already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, with nearly identical results. Where's my DARPA funding?

    1. Re:Me too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It might be in this envelope, but at the same time, it might not.

  18. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think you'll find those of us who learnt English (that's English, not American English) call it maths - as in Mathematics. Note that lovely S on the end.

    The only place in the world I've encountered the word "math" is in North America.

  19. Yah. And we got there first by Colin+Smith · · Score: 1

    So it's "maths". Go rewrite your dictionaries buddies!

    --
    Deleted
    1. Re:Yah. And we got there first by geekoid · · Score: 1

      um, even in your dictionary 'maths' is considered and abbr.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  20. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the s at the end is meant to intend a plural, can you tell me what a single mathematic is? If it is not meant to be plural, why are you putting the s at the end of the abbreviation?

  21. Re:MATH by Yold · · Score: 1

    mathematics

    Doing the "mathematics" or doing the "mathematic" ?

  22. Prime roots, eh? by bubbl07 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.
    -1 Redundant.
    1. Re:Prime roots, eh? by Nazlfrag · · Score: 1

      Prime factors:
      15 = 5, 3
      5 = 5
      3 = 3

      Not at all redundant, in fact it is very space efficient!

  23. Re:MATH by bosko0 · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Non-native English speakers"???

    Yeah, like those who live in England, who are sometimes called the English?

    In the US it is "Math", in the UK it "Maths". And non-native English speakers are taught British English, not American English, thus the affinity toward the way things are said in England.

  24. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    There's more Americans who speak English than there are British. Therefore, we win! Majority rule!

  25. sqrt(15)? by bosko0 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    sqrt(15) = sqrt(5) * sqrt(3)

    Hmmm.. I bet they also calculated square roots of 9 and 25, but did not want to brag about it:

    sqrt(25) = sqrt(5) * sqrt(5)
    sqrt(9) = sqrt(3) * sqrt(3)

  26. Re:MATH by moderatorrater · · Score: 1

    Happy hoidays A lot of English speakers don't realize this, but in polite conversation, we refer to it as "female workers" day or not at all.
  27. Imagine a Beowolf Cluster of... by DavidChristopher · · Score: 0

    Wait.. This is a quantum computer, right? Would that be Beowolf in 3D?

    --
    http://www.bistolas.net
    1. Re:Imagine a Beowolf Cluster of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would that, then, make it Beo... Wolfenstein?
      (Btw, does anyone else remember "Wolfenstein" for C64"? I wish I didn't)

  28. Re:MATH by elFarto+the+2nd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I've taken to just calling it just 'American' rather than English.

  29. Can't stop myself...oh the Humoranity! by GeekZilla · · Score: 5, Funny

    Q: What kind of room is it kept it?
    A: A Qubicle

    Q: How big is it?
    A: About four Qubit meters.

    Q: Qubit? Wasn't that an early arcade game with a little guy jumping around changing the quantum state of a bunch of Qubes?

    I have OBVIOUSLY had too much Qaffeine.

    --
    Veritas patesco per quaestio questio. Truth is revealed through questions.
    1. Re:Can't stop myself...oh the Humoranity! by Daltin · · Score: 1

      You must be pun-ished for that.

    2. Re:Can't stop myself...oh the Humoranity! by AgileGuru · · Score: 1

      Q-BERT! Man, how I hated that little fellow!

    3. Re:Can't stop myself...oh the Humoranity! by GeekZilla · · Score: 1

      Me too. He kept eating all my quarters and then swearing at me.

      --
      Veritas patesco per quaestio questio. Truth is revealed through questions.
  30. Re:MATH by Vegeta99 · · Score: 1

    If mathematic isn't a word, how do you describe something that has math-like attributes? ie, what type of question would 4+4 be?

  31. Re:MATH by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mathematical of course. Because this is English. We don't remove suffixes, we ADD them.

    (Pun only moderately intended)

    --
    The laws of probability forbid it!
  32. Re:MATH by SnprBoB86 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you are going to be a grammar nazi... don't. Your post is riddled with grammatical errors.

    "People who speak very good English"
    Should be: "People who speak English very well".

    "Almost as bad as "loose" instead of "lose", but non-native English speakers get a pass since they don't know any better."
    Should be two sentences without the "but". You have several similar errors involving the word "But".

    Additionally, please try to eliminate your use of run-on sentences.

    --
    http://brandonbloom.name
  33. now... by Sobieski · · Score: 1

    ... put some gold in there and sell it to celebrities as a calculator

    --
    Particles, stuff that matters.
    1. Re:now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Be sure to handle payment in Euros.

  34. Re:MATH by squizzar · · Score: 1

    A mathematical question.

  35. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    oh for the love of GOD can we just call it ARITHMETIC?!

  36. Re:MATH by Stochastism · · Score: 1

    Glad to see the moderators take my view, but as the original poster I feel an overwhelming need to reply anyway.

    1) Maths is the more accepted UK/Australian version. I'm Australian.

    2) The full version is Mathematics, even in US english. Note the s. It's plural. There is no singular version. You can't do a mathematic and so you can't do a math. But hey, I say Lego in stead of Legos, so I can't talk.

  37. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Australia spoke English, last time I checked.

    You've apparently never taken a look at the lyrics to Waltzing Matilda.
  38. It's Obviously... by hyades1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Computerized Australian Technology...until you take a good look at it.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  39. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Replace 'Non-native English' with 'Non-native _Americans_' and you're just about right.

    Most people in the UK would say maths, myself included.

    (A sure way to tell if someone grew up in the US or not, is whether they think the whole world should behave like them)

  40. That's no big deal by p3d0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I once new a guy who could compute the prime roots of 15 in his head.

    --
    Patrick Doyle
    I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
    1. Re:That's no big deal by Alsee · · Score: 1

      Big deal, he can do 15. This computer can do 3 and 5 too.

      -

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      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  41. Law of conservation of time by 0xABADC0DA · · Score: 1

    Soon we will be able to test 2^N possibilities in 2N time, but my question is where does that information come from? There's a lot of hand-wavyness on how that actually happens...

    One possibility is that we ask the 'computer' of the universe to do too much computation and end up in an infinite loop, crashed universe, 'dark' part of a mandlebrot-like fractal, etc.

    Another possibility is that the 'computer' of the universe will simply abort operations that take 'too long', the quality of our simulation will degrade, and our complex quantum math will result in randomish results.

    And then there is the possibility held by quantum researchers that somehow the universe can magically perform any amount of complex computation with no cost at all. "Here a miracle occurs".

    Somebody is in for a rude awakening. I hope that is us determining that we run in a simulation and not us finding out we've accidentally sucked the life out of the universe cracking somebody's encryption key.

    1. Re:Law of conservation of time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I beg your pardon?

    2. Re:Law of conservation of time by jrcamp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      One possibility is that we ask the 'computer' of the universe to do too much computation and end up in an infinite loop, crashed universe, 'dark' part of a mandlebrot-like fractal, etc.

      I think that the fact that we are here, almost 14 billion years after the universe began, is a good indication that it's not possible to "crash" the universe.

      The original numbers plugged in the Drake Equation estimated 10 intelligent civilizations in our own galaxy. Since there are more than 100 billion galaxies, that means there could potentially be more than 1 trillion advanced civilizations.

      I would bet at least 1 out of that trillion are much more advanced than us and have managed not to "crash" the universe. Whatever the hell that means.

    3. Re:Law of conservation of time by fredrikj · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Soon we will be able to test 2^N possibilities in 2N time, but my question is where does that information come from? There's a lot of hand-wavyness on how that actually happens...

      Phenomena like superposition and entanglement are not fully understood from the metaphysical point of view, and there is some hand-waving about that. But the mathematics agrees perfectly with experiment, and that's all we need to know to put the theory to use.

      One possibility is that we ask the 'computer' of the universe to do too much computation and end up in an infinite loop, crashed universe, 'dark' part of a mandlebrot-like fractal, etc.

      Another possibility is that the 'computer' of the universe will simply abort operations that take 'too long', the quality of our simulation will degrade, and our complex quantum math will result in randomish results.


      How do we know building a quantum computer won't break the universe? Well, the things that go on in a quantum computer are the same things that go on in ordinary matter all the time. A speck of dust consists of some 10^20 particles that continually interact with each other according to the same quantum-mechanical laws that govern the interaction of qubits used in integer factorization. Why should the universe care what purpose we use those interactions for?

      And in the end, a size/time-N quantum computation can be simulated with 2^N space and in 2^N time on a classical computer (I might be wrong about the exact form of those expressions). Would the universe collapse if we run a quantum algorithm on a PC?

      And then there is the possibility held by quantum researchers that somehow the universe can magically perform any amount of complex computation with no cost at all.

      This isn't true. Quantum algorithms have real costs that grow with the size of the problem, just like on ordinary computers. (Concretely speaking, we can simulate them on classical computers in deterministic time.)

    4. Re:Law of conservation of time by voidy · · Score: 1

      This Asimov story is unbelievably apt :)

      http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html

      --
      I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them. Isaac Asimov
    5. Re:Law of conservation of time by zegota · · Score: 1

      Paraphrasing from memory, but very apt: "Many theorize that when the universe crashes it is instantly replaced by an even weirder one. Others theorize that this has already happened." -HHGTTG

    6. Re:Law of conservation of time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One possibility is that we ask the 'computer' of the universe to do too much computation and end up in an infinite loop, crashed universe, 'dark' part of a mandlebrot-like fractal, etc.

      If the Universe could break, local problems sound more plausible than global ones.
    7. Re:Law of conservation of time by jamesh · · Score: 1

      Well... it could be that the 'crash' or 'reboot' propagates at the speed of light. So some part of the universe has already crashed and the crash just hasn't reached us yet.

      That being said, it's a fairly safe bet that anything to do with physics probably happens inside a supernova (every possible particle created, however fleetingly), so if a few supernovae haven't triggered the destruction of the universe I think we're pretty safe.

    8. Re:Law of conservation of time by 2short · · Score: 1

      "'dark' part of a mandlebrot-like fractal"

      You mean, the part the programmer chose to display as black?

      Fractals aren't magic. Quantum mechanics isn't magic. The fact that you don't understand them doesn't make them magic or mean they might threaten the structure of the universe.

    9. Re:Law of conservation of time by Alsee · · Score: 1

      it's a fairly safe bet that anything to do with physics probably happens inside a supernova

      I wish we were in a bar. I'd take you up on that bet and snag me a free drink :)
      Easy counter-example, you're not going to find a Bose-Einstein Condensate cropping up in a nova.

      -

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      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    10. Re:Law of conservation of time by jamesh · · Score: 1

      I wish we were in a bar. I'd take you up on that bet and snag me a free drink :)
      Easy counter-example, you're not going to find a Bose-Einstein Condensate cropping up in a nova.

      I did think of the really cold things that probably wouldn't happen inside a supernova (although... you never know :), but the type of action under consideration (eg universe crashing) is probably more likely to happen because of a really 'hot' action than a really 'cold' one.

      This argument would probably attract a lot of really strange stares from other bar patrons, particularly as the evening dragged on... :)
    11. Re:Law of conservation of time by jamesh · · Score: 1

      Preview first dammit...

    12. Re:Law of conservation of time by marcello_dl · · Score: 1

      > I think that the fact that we are here, almost 14 billion years after the universe began, is a good
      > indication that it's not possible to "crash" the universe.

      How do you know that the universe hasn't crashed and been restored from a snapshot backup? You'd have no means to know, being part of it.

      Anyway since scientists studying the big bang have not discovered any sign of windows startup sequence, an uptime of 14 billion years is feasible.

      --
      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
    13. Re:Law of conservation of time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That being said, it's a fairly safe bet that anything to do with physics probably happens inside a supernova (every possible particle created, however fleetingly), so if a few supernovae haven't triggered the destruction of the universe I think we're pretty safe. Orly? Do you see a lot of buildings and roads on the moon or other planets? Sure given trillions times trillions of years on trillions of planets one 'might' form these things randomly, but we formed them in only hundreds of years on earth by intelligent actions.

      The point being there are plenty of things in the universe that will only happen as a result of intelligence causing them to happen. In that sense it's even likely that some things we might be doing in physics would not have happened before ever in the universe.
  42. Re:MATH by Samgilljoy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Correction: Some non-native speakers of English are taught British English, not all. Moreover, British English has not been the standard worldwide for many years, so outside of Commonwealth countries and Europe, people do not, as a rule, gravitate towards British English.

    And no, all this has nothing to do with which dialectic is better. It's just sociolinguistics. American English is the premier language of commerce and political power. It's also the medium of a huge amount of popular culture and marketing. Sooner or later, the prestige will shift elsewhere, just as it started to shift away from Britain after WW2. Sic transit gloria mundi.

    We should also keep in mind that for some language groups, English s-plurals are particularly challenging, so the "maths" issue gets obscured by its similarity to a huge amount of genuine errors.

  43. It's obvious that by hyades1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Computerized Australian Technology lives.....until you take a good look at it.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  44. Re:MATH by P3NIS_CLEAVER · · Score: 1

    I will add 'statistics' and 'stats' as s similar example.

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  45. DARPA by CompMD · · Score: 2, Insightful

    is not an intelligence agency.

    1. Re:DARPA by Nazlfrag · · Score: 1

      Good point, neither is the CSIRO. Still, the logical and most probably intended application of a successful multiple qubit computer is in the intelligence arena, so I can see how the error was made.

  46. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    And more indians who speak British English than Americans. Epic Fail.

  47. Feh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I dare you to take that umbrage to the UK or Australia.

    I used to own a 1964 Umbridge and it was always breaking down. Those English cars were the worst.

  48. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yep, because the dialects of English in Britain are more authoritative than others. You can't counter trolling with cultural chauvinism. A few broken condoms before Normandy and suddenly Britain is full of red-blooded Americans that thinks they're British.

  49. Re:MATH by adoll · · Score: 1

    As many people in India speak English than there are Americans who speak English. (source http://bizpr.news.prweb.com/releases/2004/4/prweb116904.htm) Guess which way Indians spell maths?

  50. Whats a Qubit... from TFA : by droopycom · · Score: 1

    "One qubit can be in two possible states, two qubits can be in four, three qubits in eight, and so on," explained Professor Andrew White from the University of Queensland, who works on the project. Thus in a quantum computer every additional quantum bit will double computing power. I might be missing something but isnt the same just true for regular bits? You know: 1 bit, 2 states; n bits, 2^n states... Are the Aussies playing a joke on DARPA... and still getting funding ? That would be neat...
  51. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So you truncate all of your plural nouns and toss extraneous s characters on the end and use them as a singular noun? Well that seems a bit odd, doesn't it?

    No, no, my tradition is more rational than your tradition! Onward, majors in Chemistries and Biologies. Do the bios and chems!

  52. Re:Whats a Qubit... from TFA : by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The difference is that normal bits are in 1 of a possible 2^n possible states. A quantum computer is actually IN 2^n possible states all at once. When you add a bit to a "normal" bit, you just expand the amount of information that can be encoded at once by a bit, but in a quantum computer, you increase the amount of information encoded at once by a factor of 2.

  53. Re:Whats a Qubit... from TFA : by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 1

    What they're referring to is quantum entanglement. There's a vast difference between having two independent qubits each in a superposition of two states and having two entangled qubits together in a superposition of four states. It's a subtle, but very important difference.

    --
    The laws of probability forbid it!
  54. Well crap... by Relic+of+the+Future · · Score: 1

    I guess it's time to stop using 4-bit encryption on my private corespondances. -- PBP (Pretty Bad Privacy) Public Key Follows: 10

    --
    Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
  55. Re:MATH by geekoid · · Score: 1

    I don't know what the fuss is.
    Maths is an abbr. for mathematics.

    My characters statisics
    or
    My character stats.

    Why anybody cares is beyond me.

    On the flip side, I am naming my next dog "Mathematic" just so I can use it in a sentences and watch people cringe.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  56. Correction by geekoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    -- Wanted --
    Schrödinger's Cat
        Dead and Alive

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:Correction by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      How can they verify the bounty without observing the cat?

      Oh I see it's a trick. Clever bastards.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    2. Re:Correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -- Wanted --
      Schrödinger's Cat
      Neither Dead or Alive

    3. Re:Correction by Alsee · · Score: 1

      -- Wanted --
      A goddamn dog.
      Dogs don't pull that weird cat shit on you.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  57. Microsloth Windows Excalibur by rice_burners_suck · · Score: 1

    Dude, this is nothing. I'm writing from the future to let you know that my MacBook has a processor called the Intel Q-80, an 80-core Intel hybrid quantum/conventional computing CPU. The conventional part runs at 1.5 THz (terahertz) and is a 4-nanometer process running at 0.03 volts. The quantum part is based on a positron spin matrix, and all computations are nearly immediate and reversible. I can convert a 5 TB RedRay (the successor to BluRay) movie to SMPEG format in about 2 microseconds. I can crack a 1024-bit encryption message of 1 TB length in less than half a microsecond. All operations on the computer are incredibly fast, partly due to much faster memory and also to all mechanical hard drives being eschewed in favor of an approach that is faster than DRAM. And most interaction with the computer is through spoken commands a la the Star Trek ship's computer, with spoken feedback in a variety of voices, all sounding as real as a human's voice. When turning on the computer, Mac OS X 10.9 Lion loads instantly. It's as quick as waking the computer from sleep, but from a cold boot. Also, the battery lasts approximately 80 hours with heavy usage. Oh, one final thing. If you get a Dell or HP with exactly the same hardware configuration, it comes with Windows Excalibur (the successor to Windows Ansicht, which is the successor to Windows 2011, which is the successor to Windows Vista). Windows Excalibur is touted as the world's most time-saving operating system, as it takes full advantage of the newest advances in hardware to provide a smooth and lightning fast user experience. As you might guess, studies show that users of an average Windows Excalibur computer spend approximately 0.01% of their time actually interacting with the computer, while 99.99% of the time is spent waiting for it to respond.

    1. Re:Microsloth Windows Excalibur by Eli+Gottlieb · · Score: 2, Funny

      So basically, technology has given us quantum computers in the future, but users are still stupid enough to deliberately put Windoze on a Macintosh machine?

      That says something about life.

    2. Re:Microsloth Windows Excalibur by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      Ugh, I'd hate to hear what the cubicle farms sound like in the future.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    3. Re:Microsloth Windows Excalibur by rice_burners_suck · · Score: 1

      Did you RTFP? I said IF you buy an HP or Dell with the exact same guts, running Windoze instead of Mac OS X, you're going to sit there and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and then be told how Microsloth Windoze Excalibur is saving you time. And when you click on something, as if the audible "click" of your mouse button isn't enough, you'll hear that crisply-recorded "click" sound from your speakers, that infuriates me so much that I want to take the computer and throw it off the roof of a 400 story building. But they ain't built one yet.

    4. Re:Microsloth Windows Excalibur by dreamchaser · · Score: 1

      Titor? John? Is that you? ANOTHER fake id?

    5. Re:Microsloth Windows Excalibur by drwho · · Score: 1

      Sorry, forgive me for being late.

  58. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for the love of big bang and everything that is pure..

    Do not make this conversation to something as trivial as language, where what is being communicated is the only thing important. Not how its said. As long has communication(both parts understand each other) has taken place, it DOESN'T MATTER.

  59. Re:MATH by Wonko+the+Sane · · Score: 1

    Statistics is actually the plural form of statistic.

    You could conceivably your character's statistic.

    So it's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.

  60. Wait a second... by Mike+Savior · · Score: 1

    How did they manage to fit that potty-mouthed bignose in that little circuit, letalone -four clones- of him?

    Oh.. I read "Qbert".

    --
    space is pretty cool.
  61. Re:MATH by GryMor · · Score: 1

    Mathematics is singular, just like Physics and Chemistry. They are individual fields of study. For abbreviations you end up with Math, Phys and Chem.

    --
    Realities just a bunch of bits.
  62. As Picard would say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are FOUR maths!

  63. Re:MATH by Domstersch · · Score: 1

    Not only is there Britain and India, there's also Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the rest of the commonwealth - potentially 1.9 billion people! (Although, parts of Canada, I understand, have swapped to the American usage).

    --
    =w=
  64. Ask Slashdot: by asCii88 · · Score: 0

    What is the prime root of a number?

  65. Re:MATH by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Oh yeah?
    Well I have a single Mentos left in my pack of Mentos.

  66. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    In addition to the math/maths/mathematics issue, American 'English' has a good collection of other atrocities. I've converted a few of the ones I find odd/amusing to British English :

    check = cheque (as in money)
    tire = tyre
    sulfur = sulphur
    seeing eye dog = guide dog
    thru = through
    gasoline = petrol
    pissed (angry) = pissed (drunk)
    pavement = road
    sidewalk = pavement
    chips = crisps
    french fries = chips (sort of...)
    quarter of 5 = quarter past 5
    pedestrian crossing = somewhere cars line up to run people over,
                                  especially when turning right on red light whilst making a phone call...
                                  (I was injured last week by an SUV under exactly these circumstances)

    Not to mention dates with month and day the wrong way round (MM/DD/YYYY) and words with 's' replaced by 'z', color/colour etc.

  67. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A sure way to tell if someone grew up in the US or not, is whether they think the whole world should behave like them
    As opposed to a fucktard Brit who still thinks their culture and country has any influence in the world.

    Grow up: you lost your empire at Dunkirk in 1940 when the British Expeditionary Force turned and ran like scared little girls.

    After hundreds of years of dictating the way the world should behave, it is now our (Americans') turn by virtue of the blood and treasure we spent TWICE by having to come over to Europe to clean up your primitive bloody mess (the same people that now have the utter gall and hypocrisy to try to dictate to us how to live in "peace".)

    Britain is failed Greece to our Rome. Reality. Live with it.
  68. Re:MATH by shoor · · Score: 1

    Do they ever say arithmatics in England?

    --
    In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice they're different. (Yogi Berra & A. Einstein)
  69. Yes But Does It Run Linux ?? by badman99 · · Score: 0

    Yes But Does It Run Linux ? Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these :)


    Introducing the **NEW** President Bush Powered Linux Installer. With a 100% money back guarantee that it will both invade and conquer all Microsoft based partitions on your hard drive in the never ending pursuit of MWMD's (Microsoft Weapons Of Mass Destruction).

  70. Re:MATH by PingXao · · Score: 1

    So the truth now equals trolling. Interesting.

  71. Re:Quantum Computing Is Pure Unmitigated Bullshit by Nazlfrag · · Score: 4, Informative

    Who to go with, the military funded scientists working on a solid foundation of one of the most tested and proven physical theories mankind's best and brightest conceived of and developed with working models or a random blogger who can't get his head around the uncertainty principle.

    Well, fair enough, Einstein himself quoted 'God does not play dice' on this very issue, before coming to terms with it. You might have the best of intentions but unfortunately you're off track. Regardless of what anybodies opinion is the quantum uncertainty model accurately predicts all available data, and theories that coincide with empirical evidence are useful and usable no matter how small or great an understanding we have of the underlying processes.

    Come up with a simpler theory that fits all the data and I'll gladly accept your claims of crackpottery, otherwise open your mind a little and realise that regardless of a deeper understanding, if the math fits, we can do it, ergo quantum computing is not just feasible, but is already happening as we speak in labs the world over, like the one in TFA.

  72. I'm in trouble... by E++99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It has already calculated the prime roots of fifteen, three and five.

    CRAP! 15 was my RSA public key!
    1. Re:I'm in trouble... by jamesh · · Score: 1

      CRAP! 15 was my RSA public key!


      Bah. That'll teach you. They've been warning you for years about the perils of 4 bit encryption!

      And don't just go and move to 5 bit encryption, i'm sure that that'll be broken any year now. I'd suggest starting at 8 bit, with a plan to move to 16 bit in 18 months or so.

      btw, if this technology has a doubling time trend like Moore's law, does that mean they'll double the number of bits every x months, or add a new bit every x months? I need to know so I can plan my move to 32 bit encryption...
    2. Re:I'm in trouble... by Alsee · · Score: 1

      I use a really really long RSA key so I don't have to worry about anyone ever factoring it.
      It's a really cool key too, the last digit is zero.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    3. Re:I'm in trouble... by MattskEE · · Score: 2, Funny

      I use the same combination on my luggage!

  73. Roots are not factors... by geekgirlandrea · · Score: 2

    s/prime roots/prime factors/, please. Sheesh.

  74. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Remember who else crossed the Atlantic twice to save the Americans from the British? Where were you when they were invaded twice? That's right, hiding like scared little girls, only coming to aid and joining the wars when you were directly attacked.

    Being part of the war effort does not give you the right to an American Empire that dictates how the world behaves, that's just you being an arrogant dick.

  75. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hahaha, just an excellent, old-fashioned Slashdot beatdown for this idiot. Great work, everyone.

  76. Re:MATH by rantingkitten · · Score: 1

    Yeah, but just because the full word is "mathematics", it doesn't follow that "maths" is somehow more proper than "math". In both cases you're severely shortening the word for the sake of brevity, so why quibble over whether or not the last letter should or should not be dropped, in the light of all the other letters we're so willing to forgo?

    If anything, "maths" would have to be a contraction, with an apostrophe indicating the missing letters, but I never seem to hear Brits or other Commonwealth-English speakers argue in favor of that when they're getting righteous over the proper term.

    --
    mirrorshades radio -- darkwave, industrial, futurepop, ebm.
  77. Re:MATH by kayditty · · Score: 0

    Moreover, British English has not been the standard worldwide for many years, so outside of Commonwealth countries and Europe, people do not, as a rule, gravitate towards British English.
    I can't seem to pin you down for one or the other. Towards instead of toward, but premier instead of premiere? Let's not get into the "dialectic" (did you have capacitors on your mind, or something?).
  78. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    have a cookie

  79. Re:Quantum Computing Is Pure Unmitigated Bullshit by MOBE2001 · · Score: 0, Troll

    quantum computing is not just feasible, but is already happening as we speak in labs the world over, like the one in TFA.

    Don't you believe it. It's all lies and bullshit. They've been making progress announcements every few weeks or so for the longest. Nothing worthwhile has or will ever come out of it. It's a way for them to keep the money flowing in. And who's paying for it? We, the public, are paying for it. It's time that we, the public, have a say as to what is being done with our money. Are you listening, NIST? If you are invloved in this fraud you believe that I'm slandering you in any way, let's take it to court. Have your lawyer contact my lawyer. ahahaha... Come to think of it, maybe I should call my lawyer and ask him about filing a class action suit. ahahaha...

  80. What's a "prime root?" by wickerprints · · Score: 4, Informative

    The article mentions things called "prime roots." This is not a standard mathematical term. Rather, considering the context, quantum computing, and its most discussed potential application--quantum cryptography--it is likely that what was actually computed were primitive roots.

    For the sake of completeness, a primitive root of a prime p is an integer r such that the smallest positive value of k such that p divides r^k - 1 is k = p-1. For large primes, finding primitive roots is not a trivial task. For example, r = 2 is a primitive root of p = 5, since the positive integer powers of 2 are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ..., and modulo 5, this becomes 2, 4, 3, 1, 2, .... The first occurrence of 1 is for 2^4, hence k = 4 = 5-1.

    1. Re:What's a "prime root?" by Fuzz0r · · Score: 1

      The original sentence should read prime factors not prime roots. They definitely did not compute primitive roots.

    2. Re:What's a "prime root?" by wickerprints · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, in retrospect you are absolutely correct. 15 = 3(5). Silly me.

      Would've been more interesting to compute primitive roots, though. :D

  81. Re:MATH by A+New+Normalcy · · Score: 1

    Heck, I always liked Johnny Maths.

    --
    ...Lorenzo / I'm into kinky crustaceans. I just discovered internet praWn.
  82. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    As an American, here's my take on some of these "atrocities":

    thru = through Huh? "thru" is an abbreviation used primarily on signs and in advertisements, nothing more.

    quarter of 5 = quarter past 5 I think you got that one backwards. "Quarter past 5" is the only way I've heard it said.

    pedestrian crossing = somewhere cars line up to run people over, The American version of that is "crosswalk."

  83. Re:MATH by Aardpig · · Score: 2, Informative

    No truth. You're just the ignorant fuckwad who wasn't aware that the English say 'maths'.

    --
    Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
  84. What does this mean for encryption? by Jartan · · Score: 1

    The big deal about quantum computers (to me anyways) is that supposedly they can break encryption. That's a bad thing obviously. I'm always confused that when we see these stories about quantum computers that nobody is discussing how much longer it will be before big brother can read all my email even when Im wearing my tinfoil hat!

    So what's up with that? I must have some assumptions wrong or the usual sorts would be predicting the sky is falling.

  85. What's a qubit? by Molochi · · Score: 1
    --
    "The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
  86. Liar by nova_ostrich · · Score: 1

    You're not from the future. There's no way that Microsoft will release the successor to Vista before 2014.

    --
    It's scary being a Flash and Flex developer on Slashdot. You guys are unnaturally rabid.
  87. Re:MATH by garbletext · · Score: 1

    Equivalently, your language could be called 'old english.' The language currently using that name will be renamed 'German.'

  88. Re:MATH by Bede+EW · · Score: 1

    outside of Commonwealth countries and Europe, people do not, as a rule, gravitate towards British English People, as a rule, pick up the colloquialisms of their teacher.

    American English is the premier language of commerce and political power. *Vomit* Where on earth did this come from. The differences between American English and British English are so marginal it's not worth discussing. Excluding slang/mannerisms/abbreviations (which aren't a part of any language of commerce or political power) the only difference is a few spelling rules and the odd difference in pronunciation.
  89. Re:Quantum Computing Is Pure Unmitigated Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're crazy, man. You've lost it.

  90. Re:MATH by hpebley3 · · Score: 1

    quarter of 5 = quarter past 5

    Not quite.

    quarter of ('til) 5 = 4:45
    quarter past 5 = 5:15

  91. 2048 qubits by Myria · · Score: 1

    The Xbox public key was 2048 bits. I'd love to see the end of that once and for all, now that the console is dead. I don't think it'll be possible any time soon, if at all.

    I wonder about quantum computing - it could turn out to be the case that fighting decoherence requires energy exponential in the number of qubits. This would mean quantum computing is worthless. It would also be another instance of nature conspiring against those who attempt to break its laws.

    --
    "Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
  92. More like Agent "Q" by Smordnys+s'regrepsA · · Score: 1

    Not directly, but their inventions sure do seem to benefit the intelligence community.

    --
    Just -1, Troll talking to another.
  93. Re:MATH by lordholm · · Score: 1

    Confusing chips and fries can certainly be annoying. How about the word football, it is naturally a game where you try to play a ball with your feet, not a game where you are carrying a ball to the goal (this game should be called armball or something like it).

    But when it comes to the driving, you will find that it is the Brits that are driving on the wrong side as the continentals and the Americans are clearly driving on the right side.

    --
    "Civis Europaeus sum!"
  94. Re:MATH by SoupIsGoodFood_42 · · Score: 1

    So that it's obvious that the abbreviation is a plural?

  95. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    ..All your economy are belong to China.

    If they take you now (or within the next century), you'll probably have had the second-shortest reign as a super-power. Given the Brits lasted a few centuries, you're hardly in a good position to talk.

    Additionally, constantly whinging about having to fight WWI/II (which you BILLED for, you cheap bastards) and then turning around and getting all pissy that France isn't fighting in the SECOND war of yours that they have nothing to do with just gives the rest of the world (yes, there IS a "rest of the world") another reason to hate you (given that France helped you split from Britain and gave you the statue of liberty).

    And the EU have every right to tell you how to live in peace, you've STARTED 6 notable wars in the last 50 years (counting the cold war). Congratu-fucking-lations for setting such a brilliant legacy of peace.
  96. Re:MATH by meringuoid · · Score: 1
    Britain is failed Greece to our Rome. Reality. Live with it.

    So when are you lot going to get around to stabbing Bush to death?

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  97. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sidewalk = pavement

    That should be: sidewalk = footpath

    How about: cool = sick

  98. More than one math? by AP31R0N · · Score: 1

    [OffTopic] Who hid all these other maths from me? All this time i thought there was just *math*.

    --
    Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
  99. Re:MATH by Millenniumman · · Score: 1

    guide dog, quarter past 5, and through aren't used in American English? News to me.\
    seeing eye dog is another way to say it, and thru is an abbreviation. I have never heard "quarter of five".

    and a pedestrian crossing is called a crosswalk, pedestrian crossing is the british version according to 10^100.

    --
    Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. And you don't want to get any on you.
  100. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This attitude quickly leads to communication not happening at all as either participant will be having a completely different conversation. Furthermore, you're an idiot.

  101. Re:MATH by drwho · · Score: 1

    In America, you'd be being pedantic
    In UKOGBANI, you'd be being pendatics
    In Slashdot, it's pedantix

    But it's all really the same soup.

  102. Re:MATH by drwho · · Score: 1

    In addition to the math/maths/mathematics issue, American 'English' has a good collection of other atrocities. I've converted a few of the ones I find odd/amusing to British English :

    check = cheque (as in money)
    tire = tyre
    </i> OK now both of those are true
    <i>
    sulfur = sulphur
    seeing eye dog = guide dog
    </i>
    I've seen these both used in many places in the US.
    <i>
    thru = through
    </i>
    'thru' is only used by retards and those who have to pay by the letter
    <i>
    gasoline = petrol
    pissed (angry) = pissed (drunk)
    </i>
    Yeah....
    <i>
    pavement = road
    sidewalk = pavement
    <i>
    What the fuck are you talking about? those equivalancies make no sense. Maybe you are thinking 'tarmac'?
    <i>
    chips = crisps
    french fries = chips (sort of...)
    </i>
    I'll give you those...
    <i>
    quarter of 5 = quarter past 5
    </i> not at all.....unless you are making a joke about punctuality. I have noticed no difference in punctuality between the US and UK, but I haven't spent much time in the UK.
    <i>
    pedestrian crossing = somewhere cars line up to run people over,
                                                                especially when turning right on red light whilst making a phone call...
                                                                (I was injured last week by an SUV under exactly these circumstances)
    </i>
    Which country were you in?
    But yes, I have had a similar experience...except that a driver went around another car who had stopped to let me cross, and hit me.
    <i>
    Not to mention dates with month and day the wrong way round (MM/DD/YYYY) and words with 's' replaced by 'z', color/colour etc.
    </i>
    But you did mention them. The whole date order thing is traumatic. It is true that the American order is illogical. To make dates clear, I format them in a way which the day referred to is obvious, i.e. "15 DEC 2007"

    So, I am posting this as 'Extrans' because Slashdot's lameness filter is lame. Attempting to post as html was rejected wit
    "Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Please use fewer 'junk' characters."

  103. Re:MATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "People who speak very good English"
    Should be: "People who speak English very well".

    What on earth is wrong with "good English"? Methinks your own English is not as good as you profess...

    AC.
  104. Re:MATH by More_Cowbell · · Score: 1

    Slashdot: well over a million monkeys, but still no Hamlet.
    There, fixed that for you. ;)
    --
    Experience teaches only the teachable. -AH