Google just announced a crazy new quantum computing chip. It can solve a problem in 5 minutes that would take one of the fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years! BUT that problem was a “benchmark” called “RCS”, chosen specifically because it’s extremely hard for a supercomputer – which are still better at basically everything practical. The real reason you should care about quantum computers and this new chip is less about beating supercomputers, and more about doing new things – like really accurate simulations of nature at a quantum level that could be used for drug discovery or battery development or more.

And this new chip matters for how we might get there because of how it deals with mistakes. One of the biggest challenges with quantum computers is errors. The information inside of the “qubits” can get messed up by their environment. Typically the more “qubits” of information, the more errors.

Google’s chip has 105 qubits, much smaller than the largest quantum processors, but it’s the first to show the number of errors reduce as more qubits are added – which could be a big deal for the future of quantum computers.

If you want to know more about the real future of quantum computing, Marques and I made a longer video! For optimistic science and tech stories, subscribe for more of our show Huge If True.

#quantum #willow #scitech #science #quantumcomputing

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45 thoughts on “Huge Breakthrough in Quantum Computing”
  1. Quantum Computers aren't going to solve every problem.
    However, lets focus on 'drug discovery'.
    If quantum computing can give us cures to anything, its worth all the hype, to get all the grants for that

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