So basically it's quantum physics applied on computer science.
Computers of today are based on semiconductors and diodes, which allows us to build electric circuits with memory. In this case, it's voltage applied or voltage off - one or zero.
Quantum computing is a whole new world of computing; because it's based on the principles of quantum physics. This means that a quantum computer does not resemble the computers of today at all. In a quantum computer, information is stored in "qubits", which is 0, 1 or "undetermined / both". This is a direct application of the wave/particle duality of matter (wiki: De Broglie-wavelength). Working out how a quantum computer - which behaves totally differently from anything we have today - and constructing such a device is really hard. Theoretically, such devices would be more efficient than our computers - and that's an understatement.
This story means that we've taken yet another small step towards practical quantum computers, but also that it'll be reposted at least 100 times before working quantum computers are reality.
(Off the top of my head, please correct me if I wrote something in error. Thanks!:)
I was under the impression that there are a lot of laws in quantum mechanics that perhibits real information to be sent through quantum entanglement. If any information would be sent this way, it would appear that the information has actually travelled back through time - and that's impossible.
If you have two entangled electrons, one with spin up and one with spin down, and the're existing as waves, you don't know which one has the spin up and the spin down. Now put the electrons in a box each (together with Schroedingers cat, perhaps) and put one in another galaxy. Now if you look at one of the electrons and that one has a spin up, you know that the other one must have a spin down, even though it's in another galaxy. The other electron doesn't even know this, it's still a wave in a box until someone looks upon it and it's suddenly a spin down. Hence the "spooky" part.
However this information is useless to you. You have no way of telling the other guy in the other galaxy what spin his electron has because it would take millions of years for any message to reach him. Spin is also completely random, it's 50%-50%. So even if you have lots of electrons with spins, they're just noise, let alone exactly the inverse of the noise the other guy has in the other galaxy. But noise is noise and does not contain any information. So even if the other guy waits millions of years until he looks in the box to obtain information he already knew, the information is already useless to you for any practical purposes.
So how can one send information with photons?
Back in the days, I built a 3D model of my high school's library as a school project and got a top grade in that class. Guess I'd be arrested for that today.
Yes, I own a hammer.
And for what? Beefed up "security" that causes your user base to go nuts answering "Allow or deny" dialog boxes?
It'll pass. Much software written for XP assumes the user is running as an admin and conflicts with Vista's User Account Control system. Once these apps are updated (and they will be) there'll be less problems with UAC and less "Allow or deny" dialog boxes. By the time every Windows user is "forced" to upgrade, it is my understanding that this will no longer be an issue.
...software must be written to make use of all those cores. Dumping low level cache all the time when moving a calculation from one core to another really slows things down unless the software really is optimized. So your wallet would be much better off with a single or maybe dual core anyhow. Like the new 8 core Mac Pro which didn't show much improvement at all over the quad core model. Of course, in the future, software will be written for many cores, but today isn't tomorrow just yet.
Is it the home premium rocket, the enterprise professional rocket, the ultimate upgrade rocket or simply the standard home professional 32-bit edition rocket?
So basically we're talking about using games as therapy. I'd like to break it down to the following: Something that's easy to win / not impossible to win (patience isn't on top), something where one starts to construct something after a week when everything fell apart (Sim City) or something to release anger (Quake). I'd say that I'll go with a calm game that gives results with familiar music. For me, that's a strategy game like Civilization or Warcraft on an medium level (so I'm sure I'll win). Sim City doesn't cut it because you can't win.
We also have nostalgia; to remember back to the days that were not as hard as this one. Especially the music of a game falls into this category. The funny thing is the old days were not harder than those of now, but we only remember the good stuff.
Slashdot Mirror
...and I was just about to grab a fatty pizza before taking an exam in quantum physics! Is this a sign?
How do you know you're asking the right question?
So basically it's quantum physics applied on computer science. Computers of today are based on semiconductors and diodes, which allows us to build electric circuits with memory. In this case, it's voltage applied or voltage off - one or zero. Quantum computing is a whole new world of computing; because it's based on the principles of quantum physics. This means that a quantum computer does not resemble the computers of today at all. In a quantum computer, information is stored in "qubits", which is 0, 1 or "undetermined / both". This is a direct application of the wave/particle duality of matter (wiki: De Broglie-wavelength). Working out how a quantum computer - which behaves totally differently from anything we have today - and constructing such a device is really hard. Theoretically, such devices would be more efficient than our computers - and that's an understatement. This story means that we've taken yet another small step towards practical quantum computers, but also that it'll be reposted at least 100 times before working quantum computers are reality. (Off the top of my head, please correct me if I wrote something in error. Thanks! :)
I sure hope it's bullet proof!
...does it do *Acid4* !?
Otherwise, they wouldn't be suspects, would they?
In soviet russia, computer systems certify you!
Close your eyes, problem solved!
I was under the impression that there are a lot of laws in quantum mechanics that perhibits real information to be sent through quantum entanglement. If any information would be sent this way, it would appear that the information has actually travelled back through time - and that's impossible. If you have two entangled electrons, one with spin up and one with spin down, and the're existing as waves, you don't know which one has the spin up and the spin down. Now put the electrons in a box each (together with Schroedingers cat, perhaps) and put one in another galaxy. Now if you look at one of the electrons and that one has a spin up, you know that the other one must have a spin down, even though it's in another galaxy. The other electron doesn't even know this, it's still a wave in a box until someone looks upon it and it's suddenly a spin down. Hence the "spooky" part. However this information is useless to you. You have no way of telling the other guy in the other galaxy what spin his electron has because it would take millions of years for any message to reach him. Spin is also completely random, it's 50%-50%. So even if you have lots of electrons with spins, they're just noise, let alone exactly the inverse of the noise the other guy has in the other galaxy. But noise is noise and does not contain any information. So even if the other guy waits millions of years until he looks in the box to obtain information he already knew, the information is already useless to you for any practical purposes. So how can one send information with photons?
Am I the only one who first read this as "Google Research Gives Hope of Reversing Baldness"? :)
Back in the days, I built a 3D model of my high school's library as a school project and got a top grade in that class. Guess I'd be arrested for that today. Yes, I own a hammer.
And for what? Beefed up "security" that causes your user base to go nuts answering "Allow or deny" dialog boxes?
It'll pass. Much software written for XP assumes the user is running as an admin and conflicts with Vista's User Account Control system. Once these apps are updated (and they will be) there'll be less problems with UAC and less "Allow or deny" dialog boxes. By the time every Windows user is "forced" to upgrade, it is my understanding that this will no longer be an issue.Yes, sadly, I have to agree to that. Then again, who knows what the next version of Word will require to display a blank paper?
I can't wait to run Microsoft Word on these babies!
...but codecs are. Chances are we'll have the information in another hundred years but not the means to access it.
Wouldn't it be great if in 50 years the only version left of [Insert Future Classic Movie] was a screener with watermarks?
...software must be written to make use of all those cores. Dumping low level cache all the time when moving a calculation from one core to another really slows things down unless the software really is optimized. So your wallet would be much better off with a single or maybe dual core anyhow. Like the new 8 core Mac Pro which didn't show much improvement at all over the quad core model. Of course, in the future, software will be written for many cores, but today isn't tomorrow just yet.
This is obviously the "deflector" that's been invented and not the "shield". Any 3-year old trekkie knows this. ;)
Is it the home premium rocket, the enterprise professional rocket, the ultimate upgrade rocket or simply the standard home professional 32-bit edition rocket?
So basically we're talking about using games as therapy. I'd like to break it down to the following: Something that's easy to win / not impossible to win (patience isn't on top), something where one starts to construct something after a week when everything fell apart (Sim City) or something to release anger (Quake). I'd say that I'll go with a calm game that gives results with familiar music. For me, that's a strategy game like Civilization or Warcraft on an medium level (so I'm sure I'll win). Sim City doesn't cut it because you can't win. We also have nostalgia; to remember back to the days that were not as hard as this one. Especially the music of a game falls into this category. The funny thing is the old days were not harder than those of now, but we only remember the good stuff.