Google Quantum Computer Breakthrough

[Merlin]

Breakthrough quantum computer instantly makes calculations that take rivals 47 years​

The Telegraph / James Titcomb
Sun, July 2, 2023 at 1:13 PM EDT

Google researchers claim the latest technology is beyond the capabilities of existing supercomputers - Google Quantum AI/PA
Google has developed a quantum computer that instantly makes calculations that would take the best existing supercomputers 47 years, in a breakthrough meant to establish beyond doubt that the experimental machines can outperform conventional rivals.

A paper from researchers at Google published online claims that the company’s latest technology is “beyond the capabilities of existing classical supercomputers”.

Proponents of quantum computers say the technology, which relies on the peculiar states of quantum physics, can create hugely powerful machines able to battle climate change and create breakthrough drugs.

However, they also threaten to undermine today’s encryption systems, making them a national security priority.

Four years ago, Google claimed to be the first company to achieve “quantum supremacy” – a milestone point at which quantum computers surpass existing machines.

This was challenged at the time by rivals, which argued that Google was exaggerating the difference between its machine and traditional supercomputers.

The company’s new paper – Phase Transition in Random Circuit Sampling – published on the open access science website ArXiv, demonstrates a more powerful device that aims to end the debate.

While the 2019 machine had 53 qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers, the next generation device has 70.

Adding more qubits improves a quantum computer’s power exponentially, meaning the new machine is 241 million times more powerful than the 2019 machine.

The researchers said it would take Frontier, the world’s leading supercomputer, 6.18 seconds to match a calculation from Google’s 53-qubit computer from 2019. In comparison, it would take 47.2 years to match its latest one.

The researchers also claim that their latest quantum computer is more powerful than demonstrations from a Chinese lab which is seen as a leader in the field.

IBM's quantum computer prototype - IBM
Google’s paper demonstrates how larger quantum computers can manage “noise” – interference that threatens to disrupt the fragile states in which qubits operate – to continue to make calculations.

The researchers said: “We conclude that our demonstration is firmly in the regime of beyond-classical quantum computation.”

The rival machines were measured on a randomisation task that critics say favour quantum computers and lack any practical value beyond academic study.

Steve Brierley, the chief executive of Cambridge-based quantum company Riverlane, said: “This is a major milestone. The squabbling about whether we had reached, or indeed could reach, quantum supremacy is now resolved.”

Sebastian Weidt, the chief executive of Brighton-based start-up Universal Quantum, said quantum computers needed to demonstrate more practical functions.

He said: “This is a very nice demonstration of quantum advantage. While a great achievement academically, the algorithm used does not really have real world practical applications though.

“We really must get to utility quantum computing – an era where quantum computers with many thousand qubits actually begin to deliver value to society in a way that classical computers never will be able to.”

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/breakthrough-quantum-computer-instantly-makes-171316796.html

 

[dvernb]

Wow. It'll be interesting to see what happens when these things are finally put to practical use.

 

[Big Data]

chances are this technology is far more advanced than we are told. the nsa is probably already using it for spying. then there’s the science of quantum physics research. by the time advancements are made public the tech is years beyond that point. am I the only one worried about the AI menace surrounding such advancements?

 

[Kath]

Be careful of what you wish for.... I'm watching, I'm on the side of the human brain myself.

 

[Gregorius]

The worst thing lies in the fact that AI learns from its own mistakes and improves its knowledge. Conversely, humans and, in particular, younger people learn less and less, because learning requires commitment and effort. Too many young people prefer to spend as little time as possible studying. Inevitably AI will take over in intellectual and cultural fields. The weakening of human critical capacities, will make humanity more and more conditionable.
I hope to die before "big brother" dominates a society populated by people unaware that they are only slaves!

 

[Kath]

My brain is full to capacity and over flowing with information I have learned over the many years I've been alive. By no means is it old learning, some of it is new, that's why my brain's filing system is struggling now to retrieve information that I know is there, but sometimes it takes a while to find it, because it's so large.
Let's not lose the ability to store learned knowledge in our brains, that would be disaster

 

[Gregorius]

The substantial difference between our generation and that of the Millenials, or Generation Z, is that our knowledge was stratified in our brains because the learning methods were strenuous, but they ensured that the notions learned are, to a large extent, still present in us. The predominant learning methods in today's youth are somewhat haphazard and approximate ( information written in extremely concise form and an excessive presence of pictures and/or videos). This will, sooner or later, lead these young people back to being illiterates, with rudimentary knowledge and, above all, incapable of critical reflection. A proof of my assertion is the enormous predominance of influencers on the social media most followed by the younger generation. It is distressing to think of how many young people give up forming their own opinions, preferring to delegate to other people the idea to be supported or the behavior to be adopted on many occasions, even the simplest ones.
I hope I am wrong and that the excess of pessimism I claim is simply due to the fact that "old people only give good advice because they can no longer set bad examples!"

 

[Merlin]

Your assessment cuts to the heart of the problem. Our education systems, in the West, have been hijacked. Even higher education at universities is a sham. Indoctrination not education. Graduation documents nothing more than a gift.

 

[Kath]

The ability to evaluate by looking at every aspect of the topic is being lost... what's true and what's not, what's right and what's wrong is not looked at in an objective way by a lot of people. It's being too lazy to form your own opinions.

 

[Kath]

Giving further thought to this, it seems to me..a lot of people seem to check what's the right thing to feel or how should I react from what their peers are preaching. They are not forming their own opinion.... I rambled enough... Just keep learning, every day, learn something new.