I think that the so called quantum computer will never be a practical thing. As long as I know, it needs to be at very very low temperatures and the decoherence is a unsurmountalble problem indeed, so you can not make too many calculations before everything get lost in the thermal noise. I think it is a dream that will never be true. Like the fliyng cars, or the teleportation.
Bye.
The current problems are simply because it is still in the development stage.
Was the Eniac (The first electronic computer, for those of you who are ignorant) practical? But from the Eniac's humble begginings, we have our modern very usefull (and much, much smaller) computers.
I don't understand quantum computers at all.
I reckon its only a matter of time before it becomes a reality. That's not to say it'll be like PCs in that they'll become ubiquitous.
At the moment, there is a lot of money and resources spent by governments and big corporations on cryptography. Quantum computers have the potential to smash right through these protections by solving problems we think are hard very quickly. And in traditional crypto's place, quantum cryptography (although not strictly the same as quantum computer) is theoretically unbreakable and has already had some trials.
So I don't think it's a question of if, more a question of when. That's not to say in a few years you'll be playing the latest games on an Intel quantum chip! Quantum computing cannot replace deterministic computing.
| Gagnar The Unruly wrote: |
| I don't understand quantum computers at all. |
Current computers are classical, that it to say they store information in a large number of atoms, a few thousand atoms may hold a single 'bit' of information. Quantum computers, roughly speaking, try to put a bit of information into every 'atom'. But when you put the info into an atom or molecule, it doesn't just stay there, it changes over time according to the laws of Quantum mechanics - so you lose your info 
However, if your real smart you can design a problem so that the changes that quantum mechanics makes are just the changes you need, ta da, you've made a quantum computer. Just one problem though - quantum mechanics won't always give the same answer, so your quantum computer will only be right some of the time 
luckily it will be so blindingly fast that you can just run the program a few times and take the answer which crops up most 
kind of like 'ask the audience' in WWTBAM. The above explanation comes with absolutely no warrenty and may harm your exam grades spam | ocalhoun wrote: |
The current problems are simply because it is still in the development stage.
Was the Eniac (The first electronic computer, for those of you who are ignorant) practical? But from the Eniac's humble begginings, we have our modern very usefull (and much, much smaller) computers. |
I have to take issue here. I believe that ENIAC was NOT the first electronic computer in the sense I understand it. I think that honour rightly belongs with the UK or, perhaps, Germany depending on the exact definitions used. I would cite the following article in support : http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/fcomp.shtmlWell, in my opinion, I believe that the QC will be built one day. As advances in technology become more and more prevalent, things begin to speed up. Compare today's top of the line computer to a computer 10 years ago that was considered "top of the line". See a significant difference?
I saw a video earlier today that explained how a scientist was able to "freeze" light. He got light to stop (unbelievable huh?). And he was saying how we could use this information to shorten the time it would take to build and understand the overall process of building a QC.
http://www.livescience.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=itm1005_freezinglight&plugin=f
The link provided is a link to the video explaining the "freezing" of light. | Bikerman wrote: |
| ocalhoun wrote: | The current problems are simply because it is still in the development stage.
Was the Eniac (The first electronic computer, for those of you who are ignorant) practical? But from the Eniac's humble begginings, we have our modern very usefull (and much, much smaller) computers. |
I have to take issue here. I believe that ENIAC was NOT the first electronic computer in the sense I understand it. I think that honour rightly belongs with the UK or, perhaps, Germany depending on the exact definitions used. I would cite the following article in support : http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/fcomp.shtml |
It makes no real difference. All computers of that time were huge lumbering monsters that filled up rooms. I used Eniac as the example because it is generally accepted as the first, and few people would have recognized the name of any other. | ocalhoun wrote: |
| Bikerman wrote: | | ocalhoun wrote: | The current problems are simply because it is still in the development stage.
Was the Eniac (The first electronic computer, for those of you who are ignorant) practical? But from the Eniac's humble begginings, we have our modern very usefull (and much, much smaller) computers. |
I have to take issue here. I believe that ENIAC was NOT the first electronic computer in the sense I understand it. I think that honour rightly belongs with the UK or, perhaps, Germany depending on the exact definitions used. I would cite the following article in support : http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/fcomp.shtml |
It makes no real difference. All computers of that time were huge lumbering monsters that filled up rooms. I used Eniac as the example because it is generally accepted as the first, and few people would have recognized the name of any other. |
Err....I beg to differ. If you re-read your posting you will note the content of the sentence in brackets following the name Eniac. Since I don't regard myself as ignorant in this matter, I was unwilling to let this pass unchallenged.
As for being 'generally accepted' as the first - I would say that amongst computer professionals it has never been so.
The point about the name not being recognised is spurious. How many people would recognise the name Eniac ? If you wanted a name which is better known then you could, for example, have picked Colossus - which pre-dated Eniac by years and which many people know of from several recent Hollywood films. It is certainly more likely to be familiar to the average person than Eniac.
Eniac was the first device awarded a Patent in this field, for sure. But this Patent was voided in 1973 because it was a derivative of an earlier machine (the ABC machine) build by Professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry.Well, if it wasn't the first (Which I suppose is possible) you're the first person I've ever heard dispute it.
As for whether it is generally accepted as such,
http://www.frihost.com/forums/vt-70585.html
Let's find out.
Let's not degrade this thread further by quibbling over technicalities. If you want to continue to debate this point, let's do so at the thread I just linked to. | ocalhoun wrote: |
Let's not degrade this thread further by quibbling over technicalities. If you want to continue to debate this point, let's do so at the thread I just linked to. |
Agreed and done. | ptolomeo wrote: |
I think that the so called quantum computer will never be a practical thing. As long as I know, it needs to be at very very low temperatures and the decoherence is a unsurmountalble problem indeed, so you can not make too many calculations before everything get lost in the thermal noise. I think it is a dream that will never be true. Like the fliyng cars, or the teleportation.
Bye. |
In my point of view, we can make quantum computer(if we can) very small. therefore we can use cooling system that we can use less energy than the fridge. | boywert wrote: |
| ptolomeo wrote: | I think that the so called quantum computer will never be a practical thing. As long as I know, it needs to be at very very low temperatures and the decoherence is a unsurmountalble problem indeed, so you can not make too many calculations before everything get lost in the thermal noise. I think it is a dream that will never be true. Like the fliyng cars, or the teleportation.
Bye. |
In my point of view, we can make quantum computer(if we can) very small. therefore we can use cooling system that we can use less energy than the fridge. |
i like idea that the cooling system may use less energy then a fridge. Some reason tho by saying that i thought "what if the computer was stored in the fridge/freezer?" sure its a little awkward/strange setup but if the speeds were that much better then traditional computers i might just take hold (tho i don't see quantum computers replacing normal computers i see them more as sitting side by side for there strong suits)
Another cooling method would be to immerse the computer in a cold liquid (not water) I read of people who were over clocking fanatics who did this(i don't know the liquid tho).
It was non conductive and sat at about 40 degrees. So the cooling method probably won't be an issue its more of a problem with size and uses. | Teal'c36 wrote: |
| boywert wrote: |
In my point of view, we can make quantum computer(if we can) very small. therefore we can use cooling system that we can use less energy than the fridge. |
i like idea that the cooling system may use less energy then a fridge. Some reason tho by saying that i thought "what if the computer was stored in the fridge/freezer?" sure its a little awkward/strange setup but if the speeds were that much better then traditional computers i might just take hold (tho i don't see quantum computers replacing normal computers i see them more as sitting side by side for there strong suits)
Another cooling method would be to immerse the computer in a cold liquid (not water) I read of people who were over clocking fanatics who did this(i don't know the liquid tho).
It was non conductive and sat at about 40 degrees. So the cooling method probably won't be an issue its more of a problem with size and uses. |
Errr...do either of you actually know what a quantum computer is? It might be an idea to find out before deciding whether we can make one and how to cool it.i think everyday computers will just eventually evolve and become closer to quantum computers as they become more powerful all the time
| Bofia wrote: |
| i think everyday computers will just eventually evolve and become closer to quantum computers as they become more powerful all the time |
Err.....again, no. A quantum computer is not just a very powerful example of current technology. It is a completely different animal to a 'normal' computer and operates in a completely different way.Bofia everyday computers will never reach the speed or be able to do the calculations quantum computers can (at least in the same speeds)
it is possible tho that we switch from a conventional computer to a quantum computer or a mix between the two (since i don't know if a quantum computer can do all the calculations a normal computer can)
Anyone know if a quantum computer could completely replace the current computers we use?(most of use anyways)
I don't think a quantum computer could really replace a 'normal' computer in everything it does.
Normal PCs are very deterministic, they will always (well, should always) give the same answer given the same input. This is perfect for things like word processing, internet browsing. Things which are simple, like following a set of instructions.
On the other hand, with quantum computers it's more like a roll of the dice. It is a non deterministic process. This can have a lot of great implications, since there is the potential to be able to solve a lot of problems - like mathematical problems. It could have impacts on areas like language processing, AI, dynamic 'smart' filtering - the sky's the limit. But it doesn't make much sense to ask a quantum computer to add 2+2, or move this bit of memory here, or print my document now - that's not what it's best suited to.
I think we'll probably see a meld of the technologies, where the conventional chip drives and interprets the quantum chip. But not for a while yet!
i agree that a quantum computer wont replace a typical home computer tho i believe that it could easily be incorporated into each home computer. You would in effect have another piece of hardware you aren't ussing (in the case of most people). It would allow for impossible to break encryption in milliseconds. Much like today's video card, a quantum cpu in every computer could eventually happen. Everyone uses a video card but not everyone needs the 128 Megabytes on the video card for their home use.
Nothing is ever impossible. If you the poster were in the 1600's you'd be expressing the same discontent with possibilities about anything that exists today. Flying cars aren't impossible by any means, there costly and un-marketable at the moment, as would be the problem with a quantum computer. It'd be like having an electron microscope next to your entertainment center, it just won't be practical for consumers, but for research and development companies and many other various organizations it would be very practical. So I guess if it became practical to have a quantum computer for the masses, then it would be possible. I think you should definitely make a clear distinction between what's "possible" and what's "marketable".
| cornga56 wrote: |
| Nothing is ever impossible. If you the poster were in the 1600's you'd be expressing the same discontent with possibilities about anything that exists today. Flying cars aren't impossible by any means, there costly and un-marketable at the moment, as would be the problem with a quantum computer. It'd be like having an electron microscope next to your entertainment center, it just won't be practical for consumers, but for research and development companies and many other various organizations it would be very practical. So I guess if it became practical to have a quantum computer for the masses, then it would be possible. I think you should definitely make a clear distinction between what's "possible" and what's "marketable". |
I agree with this in every aspect. I was going to mention this until I read the last post and it had already been mentioned In the fist post of this forum that i posted some time ago i read my little hope about flying cars. I had almost forgotten this post and after i wrote the one entitled "Flying cars: when will they come?" were i am positive about flyinbg cars. I can see now that a lot of technological problems are instead animic problems. If you get up some day with the idea of its possibility and feasibility that can make it to be possible.
First of all teleportation was done in laboratory for some quantum state, but I don´t remember by whom. Quantum computation has many technical problems but situation is very bad, because there are only a very limited set of problems, which can be solved effectively with quantum computers like for example the factorization of prime numbers. But very simple quantum computers already exists.
| ptolomeo wrote: |
I think that the so called quantum computer will never be a practical thing. As long as I know, it needs to be at very very low temperatures and the decoherence is a unsurmountalble problem indeed, so you can not make too many calculations before everything get lost in the thermal noise. I think it is a dream that will never be true. Like the fliyng cars, or the teleportation.
Bye. |
| redace wrote: |
First of all teleportation was done in laboratory for some quantum state, but I don´t remember by whom. Quantum computation has many technical problems but situation is very bad, because there are only a very limited set of problems, which can be solved effectively with quantum computers like for example the factorization of prime numbers. But very simple quantum computers already exists.
|
Quantum computers could theoretically tackle any problems that conventional computers do - they are not limited to a small set of problems.
http://www.cs.caltech.edu/~westside/quantum-intro.htmlI dont know, but there are many thing unsense for us but its exist now
I think that the quantum computer revolution will not come alone but instead it will be accompanied by another revolutions, such as the materials science revolution expected for room temperature superconductors. When this goal is achieved, it will be possible to have whole nanoscopic electrical circuit enoughly cooled so as to drive the heat noise, that pervades and completelly destroy quantum coherence, to a level sufficiently low to permit entangled states, which is the necessary scenario to have a quantum computer.
When this is achieved, bank accounts will have some problems to mantain its security, because its so easy with a quantum computer to find the prime factors of a whole number, and so the encryptation which stronglyu depends on that.
| nisibdv wrote: |
I think that the quantum computer revolution will not come alone but instead it will be accompanied by another revolutions, such as the materials science revolution expected for room temperature superconductors. When this goal is achieved, it will be possible to have whole nanoscopic electrical circuit enoughly cooled so as to drive the heat noise, that pervades and completelly destroy quantum coherence, to a level sufficiently low to permit entangled states, which is the necessary scenario to have a quantum computer.
When this is achieved, bank accounts will have some problems to mantain its security, because its so easy with a quantum computer to find the prime factors of a whole number, and so the encryptation which stronglyu depends on that. |
That is why bank security and such will be upgraded using quantum computers before quantum computers are released to the public. See, it all works out. Quantum encryption is, in theory, unbreakable.I thought that it was not so much the case that quantum encryption cannot be broken, rather that it can be seen to have been tampered with. As that is not the case with current encryption methods, quantum encryption is safer.
From Wikipedia:-
An important and unique property of quantum cryptography is the ability of the two communicating users to detect the presence of any third party trying to gain knowledge of the key. This results from a fundamental part of quantum mechanics: the process of measuring a quantum system in general disturbs the system. A third party trying to eavesdrop on the key must in some way measure it, thus introducing detectable anomalies. By using quantum superpositions or quantum entanglement and transmitting information in quantum states, a communication system can be implemented which detects eavesdropping. If the level of eavesdropping is below a certain threshold a key can be produced which is guaranteed as secure (i.e. the eavesdropper has no information about), otherwise no secure key is possible and communication is aborted.
Arghhh...I really wish people would :
a) Not copy out chunks from the internet and post them here, unattributed
b) Not use garish colours
c) Use quote tags where the text is clearly not their own
d) Stick to the point and contribute something useful
PS - I didn't mean you Doc - it was intended for a previous posting which has now been deleted.
Having said that you could use quote tags for the wiki quote Till now what we have seen is advancement in Computers day by day.We are actually moving towards Quantum Computer stage.So lets not loose hope guys.Massive inventions have been made so far.Well QC is still in Development phase, the day will have it is not so far.
