NASA's new Quantum Computer

[Selekt0r]

...The NASA computer though is only using quantum annealing anyway, it's not a true quantum computer.

I thought I'd extend my (limited) knowledge by looking up what quantum annealing was

In mathematics and applications, quantum annealing (QA) is a general method for finding the global minimum of a given objective function over a given set of candidate solutions (the search space), by a process analogous to quantum fluctuations. It is used mainly for problems where the search space is discrete (combinatorial optimization problems) with many local minima; such as finding the ground states of a glassy system.

Sadly, the explanation didn't help much

 

[platypus]

So does this actually work? Isn't encryption useless if it does?

I think this is a myth born out of the idea banded about that quantam computing allows millions and millions of calculations at once.

 

[philip2009]

So does this actually work? Isn't encryption useless if it does?

As has been stated it(quantum computing, not this particular machine) isn't applicable to all types of cryptography. People are working on new encryption schemes to throw a spanner in the works where quantum computers may eventually be used - Post-quantum cryptography.

 

[platypus]

Well ok to be a bit more helpful, most publicly available encryptions use integer factorisation or discrete logarithms, which would be breakable faster using Shor's. Symmetric systems (ciphers, hashes) are pretty secure from quantam computing.

The "holy grail" that most people are referring to when speaking especially about the defeat of encryption is Quantam Entanglement (which it won't entirely anyway, as above), which hasn't yet been done.

 

[Glaucus]

Its deisgned for a specific task, it would be useless at decrypting, or anything else.

 

[leaskovski]

no, not unless you can convert crisis into a qubo form.

read that as "convert it into quimbo form". LOL

 

[pitchfork]

My pc gets 30 rods to the hogs head and that's the way I likes it!

 

[[TFU] Thegoon84]

I'd be mining bit coins!!!

 

[d_brennen]

kedge would love this video

 

[Jono8]

i heard that the project is going to take the 8pack and use him as a over clock as no other beining on earth could withstand the thingsy that are needed and he may well be the first real super man (or a pile of mush), (a lie)

I have never been so far as to ...i don't even.

 

[murah]

So does this actually work? Isn't encryption useless if it does?

its not a true quantum computer its more of a hybrid but its still pretty powerful thanks to using an effect called Quantum tunnelling. however encryption will just move to the next logical step which is quantum encryption, Modern day encryption would not hold up long at all against a quantum computer.

 

[matt_fsr]

I'd be mining bit coins!!!

Why mine, when you could just open people's wallets with it?

 

[mrk]

Once an interface is written, I'd imagine so.

Speaking of interfaces, who on Earth (quite literally) is going to have the intelligence to write a language that can be used to fully exploit the power of this sort of technology?

It's going to be a fairly limited set of brilliant minded folk who do, which means they're either going to have to write a simpler form for everyday people or this is going to remain with the elite Shirley?

Has anybody asked Shirley to see what her take is?