Google goes quantum..............D-Wave X2

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The search giant claims it has discovered a quantum algorithm that solves problems 100 million times faster than conventional computers.

If this is true, it could speed up the development of everything from self-driving cars to humanoid robots and deep space probes.

Pictured is the chip created as part of the joint Google-Nasa collaboration

The D-Wave is described as the world's first working quantum computer, although it has never been definitively proven that the machine uses quantum processes - that is, until now.

The computer can be found at the Nasa Ames Research Center, near Mountain View, California, and looks like a giant black utility box.

Today's Google announcement is based on 'quantum annealing' (QA), according to a report in Engadget.

This is a technique to find out the most efficient overall course of action to complete a task with any given set of numbers.

Google recently tested the new QA algorithm in a trial against conventional systems, and has published a paper with its results.

Google's method beat out the conventional computer, solving a function with 1000 binary variables up to 100 million times faster.

'The D-Wave took about a hundredth of a second' to solve the problem, Google director of engineering Hartmut Neven told Popular Mechanics.

A classical computer the same problem would take about 100 days. Quantum computing harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to process information. It's distinct from a traditional computing that uses long strings of 'bits' which encode either a zero or a one.

Instead, a quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits. A @qubit is a quantum system that encodes the zero and the one into two different quantum states. These qubits behave under the laws of quantum mechanics that govern electrons, atoms and photons. The laws include something known as 'superposition', which is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time.

They also describe 'quantum entanglement' in which two particles are somehow linked despite being separated by vast distances. Due to superposition and entanglement, a quantum computer can process a huge number of calculations at the same time. This is because a quantum computer will have the advantage of using ones, zeros and 'superpositions' of ones and zeros, whereas a classical computer works with only ones and zeros.

The company described the results as 'intriguing and very encouraging' but added that it still has some way to go before the technology comes to market.

According to Fortune, Rupak Biswas, deputy director of exploration technology at Nasa Ames, likened the state of quantum computing to the early development of conventional computers during the 1930s and 1940s.

'If quantum computing were to work, it is truly a disruptive technology and it could change how we do everything, almost,' Biswas said.

'No company would like to be left behind, in some sense.'

http://www.dwavesys.com/d-wave-two-system

 

[qubit]

Caps, you've posted an article about qubits. The qubit approvez.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Such precise science summed up in a beautifully vague quote

it could change how we do everything, almost,' Biswas said.
Rupak Biswas, deputy director of exploration technology at NASA Ames


i like that ^^^^^^^^

 

[qubit]

Google's method beat out the conventional computer, solving a function with 1000 binary variables up to 100 million times faster.

.............................

Instead, a quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits.

I'm 100 million times faster! I knew I was powerful, but damn that's fast. All ya bitches just better watch out!

Just imagine what kind of AI one could build with this thing. It could attain conciousness and completely outperform mankind. Arise Sir Skynet...

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

100 million times faster and it still took 3 weeks since the last post on this thread...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qubit

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
a little gentle reading for New Years Day..

 

[qubit]

100 million times faster and it still took 3 weeks since the last post on this thread...

Oh yeah I'm the world's slowest qubit.

 

[Aquinus]

@CAPSLOCKSTUCK, I think you forgot to mention that it has to operate in a vacuum, it has to be below 1 Kelvin in order to be super conducting and, needs to be shielded from EM radiation to an extreme amount (50,000x less radiation than the earth's magnetic field allows through.) I personally would hardly call the complexity of doing such a thing a game changer. It's just like the "look how fast my CPU clocks under LN2," argument. Great proof of concept but, isn't realistic for production use because it's big, bulky, and has insane environmental requirements.

Interesting info nonetheless though.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I think you forgot to mention that it has to operate in a vacuum

it is mentioned in this link which is in post #1

Popular Mechanics.

 

[Aquinus]

it is mentioned in this link which is in post #1

Popular Mechanics.

I said you forgot to mention it. I got the info from the link.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I said you forgot to mention it. I got the info from the link.

Sorry



Note to self
MUST TRY HARDER

 

[FordGT90Concept]

@CAPSLOCKSTUCK, I think you forgot to mention that it has to operate in a vacuum, it has to be below 1 Kelvin in order to be super conducting and, needs to be shielded from EM radiation to an extreme amount (50,000x less radiation than the earth's magnetic field allows through.) I personally would hardly call the complexity of doing such a thing a game changer. It's just like the "look how fast my CPU clocks under LN2," argument. Great proof of concept but, isn't realistic for production use because it's big, bulky, and has insane environmental requirements.

Interesting info nonetheless though.

Putting it in space solves a lot of those problems though, doesn't it? Space is a vacuum and it's cold. All it needs is power (solar) and shielding. Problem is, putting stuff in space is very expensive so you got to make sure it is going to 99.99% work before going there.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA already ordered a dozen.

 

[R-T-B]

Putting it in space solves a lot of those problems though, doesn't it? Space is a vacuum and it's cold. All it needs is power (solar) and shielding. Problem is, putting stuff in space is very expensive so you got to make sure it is going to 99.99% work before going there.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA already ordered a dozen.

Putting it in space would require exponentially more EM shielding, at least in the part of space we live in.

 

[Nosada]

Putting it in space would require exponentially more EM shielding, at least in the part of space we live in.

And heat would be a huge issue. Space may be cold, but seeing as nothing is taking your heat from you directly, your only way to dump energy is radiating it. Spacesuits actually need to be cooled, not heated, in the vacuum of space. Same goes for machinery and electronics.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA already ordered a dozen.

I'd be surprised if they weren't already running its second gen. Remember, these are the people that have the budgets to order their very own micro-architecture and bought so many HDD's they had a serious impact on global prices.

 

[Aquinus]

Putting it in space solves a lot of those problems though, doesn't it? Space is a vacuum and it's cold.

Ehh, you're simplifying it too much. Space is indeed near vacuum which does fit that bill but, that's the only one. The task of providing adequite shielding against EM radiation in space is a much harder task than doing it on Earth since the planet already has a magnetic field that protects us from a large amount of it emitted by the sun. For what it's worth, the problem isn't the temperature of space, it's the heat transfer in space. Vacuum means significantly reduced ability to radiate heat, so the question becomes, where does that heat go and do you have the ability to not only cool the electronic equipment but, to get rid of the heat that the sun would add to the vehicle. So I would argue that the temperature problem is just has hard (if not harder considering power and physical limitations,) than on earth.

Sorry



Note to self
MUST TRY HARDER

I brought it up because your post made it sound like the technology was much more mature than it really is when they're still constrained by some pretty big technical issues to be able to put such technology in probes and in cars.

 

[hat]

It does seem very difficult to use, but I wouldn't compare it to clocking on liquid nitrogen. That's just a game, and much easier than using this. I don't know how you could cool it to 1 kelvin, even liquid nitrogen is hotter than that... then it has to be in a vacuum and totally shielded from any kind of radiation? Again, I don't know how one would begin to produce such an environment for this thing, but if one could, the processing power available has some pretty big possibilities. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with such powerful technology, though...