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Supercomputer makes calculations in blink of an eye that take rivals 47 years
(www.telegraph.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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Technology
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Quantum computing is mostly a hoax. At least how it is presented to investors and the public. Quantum Computers will maybe be capable of solving a very small set of problems much more efficiently than regular computers, most of these problems aren't of any parctical importance. It is a massive (financial) bubble that is going to burst soon.
Well sure, but one of them is extremely important. Factoring integers rapidly is very useful, even if it completely destroys one of the most important encryption algorithms.
Not that this computer does, or could. RSA is still safe.
Yes, but there are already algorithms which can replace it.
They can replace them going forward. A major issue is that many governments (and likely other malicious actors) have been hoarding encrypted communication in hopes of accessing it once sufficiently big quantum computer emerges.
I am wondering why we are waiting, if it's an inevitability
Because security is still a big deal. There are post quantum algorithms, but there are similar post quantum algorithms that have been proven to be flawed. It's important to allow technology like this to mature prior to adoption.
With the perpetual asterisk that we're only pretty sure P!=NP and we can't prove modern encryption is strong against a classical adversary.
"Hoax" makes it sound like the involved scientists aren't shouting this from the damn rooftops.
The economically important problems they beat are breaking encryption (actually counterproductive) and simulating other quantum systems (like reacting molecules, which could be useful). There's other neat tricks they can do but they're underwhelming to anybody who's not a technical person, and it's possible we'll discover more substantially impactful algorithms but it's hard so don't hold your breath.
That’s a bit of a broad strike no? That’s like saying the invention of the modern computing is mostly a “hoax”, all they are capable of doing is adding numbers together faster than a human.
We already know we can transform certain problems that are computationally expensive to be solved by quantum computers. I’m sure more Algorithms can be developed to take advantage of that in the future as well.