March of the Qubits

by Dan Cho New Scientist, 25 Mar 2006 They said it couldn't be done. They said it would never be practical. They were wrong, says David Deutsch. He is referring to the quest to build a quantum computer. This machine would exploit the weird properties of quantum mechanics to perform tasks millions of times faster than today's most powerful supercomputers. Such a device -- if we can build one -- would overturn the field of cryptography and revolutionise the computer industry. Yet despite this glittering prize, researchers have so far only coaxed quantum systems into solving mathematics problems that children can do in their heads. Read more