Quantum Supremacy Revisited

This book by Dr. Michio Kaku came a day after I received "The Future of the Mind". I couldn't be more delighted to have a go reading two books at one time, though it will be kind of interweaving maneuver much like the helical dance of the DNA.

A first look at "Quantum Supremacy", also a number 1 New York Times bestseller, did not disappoint. The book is broken into four parts, each seeking to address a particular aspect of the Quantum computing revolution in relation to our world and its implications for our existence.

In the first part, Dr. Kaku prepares his readers to embrace the transition from a digital computer age to that of the Quantum inevitability. In the next three sections, he postulates the great potentials and possibilities this revolution hold for mankind in the precarious and urgent situation it is currently facing, whether it's food, energy, health, diseases, mortality, and climate changes, etc.

For my generation, we may not feel the long-term consequences of our abuses and careless treatment to the earth we live in, but for the future generation, the promise of Quantum computers provide a ray of hope to circumvent an impending global catastrophe of our own making, or if not, to at least slow down or delay it for a bit longer.

 

Quantum Computers Revisited

We are hearing more and more about these amazing yet mysterious machines that promise computation performance of immense magnitude. But the average person is rarely concerned about what goes into its concept and design, much less how they operate.

I soon found out that these machines are classified broadly into three types, the third being the most powerful yet the hardest to build. Some of the big tech companies claimed to have 'successfully' built and experimented universal type of quantum platforms, but I surmised that these are just sensational statements aimed at bringing up their share values.

Still, I'm not perturbed by the seeming difficulties and challenges to create such a machine that can be put into use. It's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. And judging by the increasing mentions in news and journals, it may not be long before we see some working models serving the general public, just like the supercomputers a decade or two ago.

Hopefully, the characters in my novel will beat the big tech to the game, first.

Quantum Supremacy

Dr. Michio Kaku just released his latest work, Quantum Supremacy. Below is an excerpt of the book's description:

The runaway success of the microchip may finally be reaching its end. As shrinking transistors approach the size of atoms, the phenomenal growth of computational power inevitably collapses. But this change heralds the birth of a revolutionary new type of computer, one that calculates on atoms themselves.

Quantum computers promise unprecedented gains in computing power, enabling advancements that could overturn every aspect of our daily lives. There is no single problem humanity faces that might not be addressed by quantum computers. With his signature clarity and enthusiasm, Dr. Michio Kaku, who has spent his entire professional life working on the quantum theory, tells the thrilling story of this exciting scientific frontier and the race to claim humanity's future.

I'm definitely ordering this book, along with two other——The God Equation and The Future of the Mind. Together, these three books will provide the much needed information and inspiration for my upcoming novel.

 

Michio Kaku

When we talk about Quantum computing, well-informed people naturally point to Richard Feynman as the first to propose it in the 1980s. But it was Isaac Chuang of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Neil Gershenfeld of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Mark Kubinec of the University of California at Berkeley who jointly created the first 2-qubit quantum computer in 1998.

Certainly, credits have to be given to these pioneers for their visionary insights and brilliant inventions in this new sphere of computational exploration. But the one person that I admire and find intriguing would have to be Michio Kaku. Who is he? In the words of Andrew Zimmerman Jones of ThoughtCo.:

Dr. Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, best known as one of the founders of string field theory. He has published several books and hosts television specials and a weekly radio program. Michio Kaku specializes in public outreach and explaining complicated physics concepts in terms people can understand and appreciate.

Now that's an interesting individual that I'd like to hear! In fact, he's also a prolific public speaker with a rather wry sense of humor, just like the quote he made about physicists (he being one himself):

Physicists are made of atoms. A physicist is an attempt by an atom to understand itself.

Update:

For those interested to understand how Quantum computing will revolutionize the future, here's a video you must watch (click on the picture):

 

What is a Quantum Computer?

Quantum computers are gaining a lot of attention lately. And for good reasons. The potentials it promises, if QC researchers and designers ever get it off the ground, are immense. But I'm curious what ChatGPT has to say.

Me: How is a quantum computer different from a traditional computer, and what advantages does it offer?

ChatGPT:

A quantum computer is fundamentally different from a traditional computer in the way it processes information. While the latter processes information using bits that are either 0 or 1, a quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can represent a 0, a 1, or a superposition of both states simultaneously.

This fundamental difference enables quantum computers to perform certain tasks that are extremely difficult or impossible for traditional computers to solve efficiently. For example, quantum computers can perform complex calculations, simulations, and optimizations in parallel, which can lead to exponential speedups for certain algorithms.

Some of the potential advantages of quantum computers include:

Faster problem-solving: Quantum computers can solve some problems much faster than classical computers. This includes tasks such as factoring large numbers, which is important for cryptography, and simulating quantum systems, which is relevant for materials science and drug development.

More efficient algorithms: Quantum computers can use specialized algorithms that can solve problems with fewer steps than classical algorithms, leading to faster results.

Improved optimization: Quantum computers can efficiently solve optimization problems, which have applications in logistics, finance, and other fields.

It's worth noting that quantum computers are still in the early stages of development and face significant technical challenges, including error correction, decoherence, and scalability. However, there is significant interest and investment in the field, and researchers are working to overcome these challenges to build more powerful and useful quantum computers.

Impressive facts. But there must be a catch somewhere despite the kind of computational power a quantum computer possesses, right?

Me: What specialized operating environment does a quantum computer require to function?

ChatGPT:

Quantum computers require specialized operating environments that are very different from traditional computers. These environments must be kept extremely cold, typically just above absolute zero, to prevent any interference from thermal noise that could disrupt the fragile quantum states of the qubits. They must also be shielded from any external electromagnetic interference, including radio waves, and must operate in a vacuum to prevent any interference from air molecules.

In addition, quantum computers require sophisticated control systems that can precisely manipulate the qubits to perform the desired quantum operations. These control systems must be highly stable and precise to ensure that the qubits are not disturbed during operation. Overall, the operating environment for a quantum computer is highly specialized and requires careful engineering and design to ensure that the qubits remain stable and functional.

That's something I'll need to take note when writing my novel.