Slashdot Mirror
Google Has Enlisted NASA To Help it Prove Quantum Supremacy Within Months (technologyreview.com)
Google wants NASA to help it prove quantum supremacy within a matter of months, MIT Technology Review reported Monday, citing the Space Act Agreement. From the report: Quantum supremacy is the idea, so far undemonstrated, that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer will be able to complete certain mathematical calculations that classical supercomputers cannot. Proving it would be a big deal because it could kick-start a market for devices that might one day crack previously unbreakable codes, boost AI, improve weather forecasts, or model molecular interactions and financial systems in exquisite detail. The agreement, signed in July, calls on NASA to "analyze results from quantum circuits run on Google quantum processors, and ... provide comparisons with classical simulation to both support Google in validating its hardware and establish a baseline for quantum supremacy." Google confirmed to MIT Technology Review that the agreement covered its latest 72-qubit quantum chip, called Bristlecone. Where classical computers store information in binary bits that definitely represent either 1 or 0, quantum computers use qubits that exist in an undefined state between 1 and 0. For some problems, using qubits should quickly provide solutions that could take classical computers much longer to compute.
Maybe.
So, if they get this computer that can break encryption, people will suddenly know that the encryption used on the Internet is completely broken, and suddenly not trust it. They are building the shovel that will dig their own grave.
"-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
At predicting the outcome of quantum computing experiments. Anything else, not so much much.
Call me when I can fit a quantum computer in my pocket.
If you told me this 10 years ago, I'd only want Google to be the ones to do this.
Now, one of the companies I trust the least on the planet is doing it, not a good sign.
Why NASA? What do they have to do with Quantum Mechanics?
First it was white supremacists, spouting bullshit about difference between races.
Now if that was not bad enough, you have these damned Quantum supremacists exclaiming that only quarks should be allowed to vote or exist in cafeterias or what have you!!
No more I say, shame on Google for dividing our nation at a time like this into a super-imposed half that agrees with Quantum theory, and another half that more or may not also agree with Quantum theory. but they can't really tell until they cut us all open with a saw. Hell of a platform there Google.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It would take about 45 seconds for Google to severely abuse this technology once they had it. Hopefully NASA tells them to go pound sand.
Well, at least half of the time.
The other time, the acne becomes a cat.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
"Quantum Supremacy" sounds like the name of a song off a Muse album.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Maybe they can get the same NASA people that validated that the EMDrive worked.
Most people, including 99% of those here, haven't a clue how current 'quantum' computers work. In truth they are a giant con.
A 'quantum' computer is a quantum effect that when it happens, represents (in theory) a particular mathematical calculation. NOT a programmable calculation, but always the same calculation. The only 'variables' (in theory) are the 'inputs' to this 'calculation'. In truth setting up the initial 'inputs' is a VERY slow and uncertain process. The 'quantum' effect that then follows is 'fast' but its usefulness is near zero.
How is a 'quantum' computer thusly supposed to replace a traditional computer? The answer is shocking. A 'quantum' computer 'programmer' is supposed to create algorithms that have the 'quantum' effect calculation at their heart- only the 'quantum' calculation (a single unchangable mathematical equation) comes from the 'quantum' computer- the rest of the program has to be run on traditional computing machines.
So lets say you want to code a fast 'sort' algorithm. You have to find a way to make said algorithm dependent of the fixed quantum calculation (which, as you may guesss, is impossible). Same goes with almost anything else you may wish to code, save for the examination of the quantum effect itself.
Yes you got that right. Code designed to calculate quantum effects can, in theory, be done 'faster' by having the quantum effect actually occur and measure its result- as if that wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. But the quantum effect is literally not useful for anything else (save conning billions from naive investors).
Maybe what I have said so far has sailed over your head (given the current visitors to this site, that is more than likely)- so let me make it easier.
Let's say I can make a very fast 'black box' that calculates 128-bit floating point divisions far faster than a traditional IC transistor based design. But to use it I have to use traditional computing elements otherwise. This black box could only be useful where said 128-bit fp divisions were a massive bottleneck in my algorithm (which for divisions would at least allow a possible class of semi-useful applications). But even so, applying the 'advantage' of such fast divisions to general code would be hard to impossible.
The quantum effect equation is infinitely less useful than fast floating point divisions (a = b/c). Its use case, as I said, is pretty much limited to exploring the quantum effect (a bit like blowing up a real building to 'simulate' the blowing up of a building better that a computer could do). A lot of very crooked individuals are getting rich of the back of the quantum con.
Of course, Google is master of these tech cons. Warehouse full of low paid peeps perfect Google's 'search' algorithms, but Google tells the dumb-dumbs that 'AI' does this. Google's 'self driving' cars are actually drones, in constant radio link to remote operators who take over control of the vehicles when difficult driving circumstances arise.
Americans have always fallen for tech cons. Go Google the astonishing story of the 'murder castle/hotel' and read the real life story of a vile serial killer who always hid behind 'science'. The quantum con is rising as the ability to shrink traditional chip processes falters.
All about it is FUD, unproven theory, unproven practice.
When I put this through Googles translation I got the following:
------------
Most people, including 99% of those here (Including me), haven't a clue how current 'quantum' computers work.
I've read some stuff about it and its obviously (reference previous parenthetical statement) a hoax.
<lots of words>
I dont like Google and Americans are stupid.
-Anon
It prefers to be called a quantum nationalist
If not, it means that the quantum model is just a model and not reality.
The original Xbox and I have some unfinished business from 17 years ago.
"Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
It didn't happen suddenly. It evolved gradually, starting with the first glimmers of doubt when they began to hide the Do No Evil sign, gaining momentum when the real purpose of Chrome, Android and Google services became clear, raising worldwide concern when Eric Schmidt repudiated privacy of users (while protecting his own), exploding when mass surveillance by social networking giants hit the headlines, and finally going stratospheric when privacy abuse triggered European investigations of compliance with Data Protection laws. We're now left in a state of play where all trust in Google (and Facebook and others) has completely vanished, and of those Google is by far the most dangerous as it has its hooks into people from so many angles.
There are very few people unaware of this situation now ---- it's no longer just the province of techies and nerds. Google relies on those who are still oblivious of all this, and those who are aware of it but can't see a way out from Google's leeching grasp, for their continued fortune. It will get still worse for them as more solutions for guarding one's privacy emerge.
I don't know why they don't increase R&D using D-Wave quantum system...they own it.
This is an admission that none of the technology mentioned works with what is currently possible. Naturally, Google, the kings of vapor are seeking to remedy that with speculation based upon conjecture, and it will change absolutely nothing.
There is no way to 'prove' technology without actually creating it and demonstrating it. This is such a load of horseshit, but not at all unbelievable - it's what Google does best. Someday people will wise up and stop throwing money and data at these douches.
Meanwhile they will wait for someone else to come close and then steal it from them, knowing that they can keep the lawsuits at bay as long as it takes (thanks for teaching them that one, Bill and Steve!). I doubt we will be seeing real quantum computing anytime soon, regardless.
Pays many a CS salary.