Author Topic: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?  (Read 15199 times)

Offline InterestedEngineer

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #40 on: 12/09/2024 05:49 pm »
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It measures just 4cm squared but it possesses almost inconceivable speed.

Google has built a computing chip that takes just five minutes to complete tasks that would take 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years for some of the world’s fastest conventional computers to complete.


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Significantly, Willow is claimed to be far less prone to error than previous versions and could swell the potential of the already fast-developing field of artificial intelligence.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/09/google-unveils-mindboggling-quantum-computing-chip?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-5

53 qubits, (which I had to go to Reuters to find).

It's an improvement, but still not able to outpace classical computers.

The inflection point is on the order of 64-96 qubits.

It's the projected slope of improvement that is key.  If they hit the top of the logistics s-curve soon, it'll prove to be a useless technology.  If they can steadily grow to 1000 qubits, then they'll have something amazing.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-quantum/google-unveils-quantum-computer-breakthrough-critics-say-wait-a-qubit-idUSKBN1X21QW/

Online sanman

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #41 on: 12/09/2024 05:56 pm »
Quote
It measures just 4cm squared but it possesses almost inconceivable speed.

Google has built a computing chip that takes just five minutes to complete tasks that would take 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years for some of the world’s fastest conventional computers to complete.


Quote
Significantly, Willow is claimed to be far less prone to error than previous versions and could swell the potential of the already fast-developing field of artificial intelligence.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/09/google-unveils-mindboggling-quantum-computing-chip?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-5

53 qubits, (which I had to go to Reuters to find).

It's an improvement, but still not able to outpace classical computers.

The inflection point is on the order of 64-96 qubits.

It's the projected slope of improvement that is key.  If they hit the top of the logistics s-curve soon, it'll prove to be a useless technology.  If they can steadily grow to 1000 qubits, then they'll have something amazing.

I thought IBM has the lead in this race -- aren't they supposed to be close to coming out with 1024 qubits and the like?

https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/ibms-newest-156-qubit-quantum-processor-runs-50-times-faster-than-its-predecessor-equipping-it-for-scientific-research

Also, there's a race on to cultivate the largest user install base, to leverage the network effect of that, like Nvidia did with CUDA.

Offline Star One

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #42 on: 12/10/2024 06:28 am »
Wouldn’t this be useful to spaceflight and engineering in general as it should be good for fluid dynamics calculations?

Offline Twark_Main

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #43 on: 12/10/2024 08:35 pm »
This seems to have baffled those in the industry.

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Although quantum computers theoretically have the potential to threaten national security by breaking encryption techniques, even the most advanced quantum computers currently in public existence are too small and too error-prone to achieve this, rendering the bans seemingly pointless.

Not too baffling, really. Presumably you want to control the tech well before it advances enough to become a threat. To do so afterwards is pointless, the horse is already out of the barn!

If adversary nations are only 1 generation behind the earliest "weaponizable" generation of a technology, it won't be too hard (or take too long) to reproduce the latest advancement and become weaponizable. If they're instead 3-4 generations behind, it will take a lot longer.
« Last Edit: 12/10/2024 08:42 pm by Twark_Main »

Offline Star One

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #44 on: 12/10/2024 09:55 pm »
Google apparently made the claim that their new quantum chip carried out its calculations across many universes.

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That may seem like a strange thing to say, but it is made necessary by a strange claim tucked away in Google's announcement. According to Neven, the fact that the computer can perform such a calculation "lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by David Deutsch."



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While some, including Max Tegmark, have suggested that working quantum computers would prove the existence of the multiverse, this is really jumping the gun. Quantum computers rely on quantum mechanics, and not any specific interpretation of it, as far as we have evidence. They work under the Copenhagen interpretation, and are possible in hidden variable theories too.

Though what Google has done with quantum computers is pretty neat, it is far from practical, and by no means proof that it performed calculations across many, many universes.

https://www.iflscience.com/google-suggests-its-quantum-computer-may-use-other-universes-to-perform-calculations-77155

Online sanman

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Re: How Will Quantum Computing Impact Spaceflight?
« Reply #45 on: 12/11/2024 06:32 pm »
Google apparently made the claim that their new quantum chip carried out its calculations across many universes.

Meh, that's one interpretation out of many. Sort of like the blind men feeling the elephant, then writing news articles about it, based on whatever sells more copy.

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