Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/09/18/ibm-unveils-new-53-qubit-quant.html
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Oooo that’s pretty
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The picture is of the cryostat. During operation it’s housed inside an isolation apparatus with other components, and yes, it’s quite comely. 
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53 seems a random number.
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It’s the number of times someone asked “what do we call it?”…
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imagine what the nsa has these days with no budget limits
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So it’s a big tank full of biolumenescent squid? I’m cool with that.
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I went to college (20+ years ago) with a guy who has been a legitimate mover and shaker in quantum computing for most of that time. From time to time I’ve asked him about the state of the field, and he tries to explain.
I read every article that comes out about them.
I’m pretty sure I can even use the words “eigenstate” and “nonlocality” in a sentence correctly.
I still can’t tell you if quantum computers can be said to have performed a single operation, by which I mean so much as adding 2 + 2 in an unimpeachably non-classical way. But then again I also can’t swear they aren’t ALREADY factoring trillion-digit numbers, albeit in some inscrutable way that means we can’t really use the results just yet.
I can’t wait for that waveform to collapse so that I can know if the quantum computing cat is dead or alive.
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Standard deck of cards plus a joker. From here on out, when you win a game of Solitaire, the cards are going to bounce off the screen at transluminal speeds.
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Thank you. I am SO GODDAMN TIRED of breathless articles promising that quantum computing will render classical crypto obsolete, while failing to disclose that the concept still only works in theory. The whole field is either absolutely revolutionary, or the biggest snake-oil scam the world has ever seen; unfortunately - to use your masterfully-chosen phrase - that waveform has yet to collapse.
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Looks like someone’s idea of a Victorian Era/Machine Age loom.
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Actually, it looked a bit ‘noodly’ to me. Needs more colander.
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Big whoop. My local arcade had a qbert console back in the early 80s.
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I still can’t tell you if quantum computers can be said to have performed a single operation, by which I mean so much as adding 2 + 2 in an unimpeachably non-classical way. But then again I also can’t swear they aren’t ALREADY factoring trillion-digit numbers, albeit in some inscrutable way that means we can’t really use the results just yet.
I can’t wait for that waveform to collapse so that I can know if the quantum computing cat is dead or alive.
I’ll Second what @MTHead said. This is a great phrase. It’s also an interesting comment about the field. I started working around A.I. in 1987 learned a lot of terms. Then it was 'Wait until A.I. Gets on Quantum computers! Then you will really start seeing some serious shit!"
What I know is that some amazing A.I. is already happening, but it’s always the next level talked about that is put out there as the Holy Grail.
But things do come true in some areas. I’m old enough to remember when companies kept talking about “The year of the LAN” Then it finally happened!
Now if only they could get those network printers to work.
(My favorite line from a book on setting up networks was, 'Nobody really understands how networking printing works." I laughed out loud. It was 2 am I was in the office alone trying to set up a network printer. When I finally did get it working. I printed out the page, put the time on it, followed by five exclamation marks and showed it to everyone. They didn’t understand why it was a big deal, but they knew I was happy, so they were happy.
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They are using those to play Half-Life 2: Episode Three It’s real and it’s spectacular!
They are were also playing Star Citizen, but had to stop because the citizens on the new planets they created demanded access to our planet and they didn’t believe us when we told them that they were a simulation.
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I frequently get the impression that some tech writers get quantum computing mixed up with bitcoin, and use the same kind of hyped language to describe both.
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