Posted on 12/09/2015 3:33:55 PM PST by BenLurkin
The actual problem that computer scientists threw at the D-Wave Two is pretty esoteric. To oversimplify it, they asked the machine to pick the optimum choice out of a large jumble of information with nearly 1,000 variables. Such optimization problems, which involve weighing multiple choices against each other, should be far, far easier for quantum computers to crunch. That's because the basis of quantum computation, the qubit, uses the odd physics of quantum mechanic to hold information as a zero, one, or a superposition of both. Again, to over-simplify things, this allows quantum computers to consider a vast number of options at the same time.
In person, the room-sized D-Wave Two gurgles and rumbles a low tone, almost like a refrigerator working overtime. In some ways, that's exactly what it is. To harness the quantum effects on the superconducting material that makes up the machine's 1,097 qubits, the D-Wave's guts are kept at almost absolute-zero, about 150 times colder than deep space.
Although the D-Wave Two's 100,000,000-fold speed-up for a very specific problem is undoubtedly impressive, it's still just a partial vindication of the technology. Rupak Biswas, who heads the NASA side of the D-Wave research, explains that the D-Wave Two is still not a quantum computer in the strict sense of the words.
In a full-fledged quantum computer all the qubits would be strung together, but the D-Wave Two's 1,097 qubits are not all connected, he says. "Each qubit is only connected to 6 other qubits in the machine," Biswas says. That produces error-corrected information that's passed on to other qubit groups. Because of this constrained setup, Biswas explains, NASA and Google researchers haven't yet reached the point where they can put the D-Wave Two to practical use beyond super specific tasks
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
I can say this without clearance...building a quantum machine is one thing, programming it is another.
It was having trouble making up its mind. Did they design it to be female?
Next week it'll be on the corner bustin caps an turnin ho's.
GIGO applies to humans too!
I hope they go commercial with this soon so my Son can kill those spiders faster on his computer games.
What is the main difference between common Intel CPUs and the quantum computer?
Or since Google is publicly owned, is this sci-fi sounding news possibly a stock price manipulation stunt?
The death of all of mankind in 2.00000000001 years.
Party like it's 1999!
Figuring out if the answer was actually correct may be still another order of magnitude ...
NORM! Get busy on Fallout 4. We ain't got much time to finish it, much less a replay.
We are so screwed.
I knew I should have taken that other pill.
>What is the main difference between common Intel CPUs and the quantum computer?
Well, I can say this...it’s not recursion in a loop.
With this development, we are the guys in tricorner hats with muskets, and the enemy has M1A2 Abrams tanks and A-10 Warthog aircraft..
It's *that* kind of order-of-magnitude difference.
It was having trouble making up its mind. Did they design it to be female?
++++
By their very nature Quantum Computers states are initially transgender. But they eventually settle on M or F or, as some put it, 1 or 0. ;)
What I fear - “42!”
What I fear more - “I am from the computer and I am here to help you!”
What I fear most - “I AM!”
Must read if you haven’t - no, really, if you haven’t read these you have to:
http://downlode.org/Etext/nine_billion_names_of_god.html
http://www.physics.princeton.edu/ph115/LQ.pdf
Has it been really tested? Have the asked it the following:
2+2=
sqrt 4=
5-3=
17/1=
17/0=
Yes.
That is a lot of processing power.
From your writings, I think you know much more about computers than I do.
I realized a long time ago that there are many things in this life that I have no control over. I do try to do the right thing in the areas that I have some control over. I have to trust that in some areas, others will also try to do the right thing.
If they don’t, well.....
I’m right with God and I always knew I wasn’t going to get out of this alive.
Yeah, well, I was kinda hoping to make March of next year. :^/
You will.
I’m less worried about this computer than I am about our President Fumblebutt and other world leaders.
The world is too serious to be serious.
Keep up that well-known sense of humor of yours.
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