Big Breakthrough: Quantum computers do chemistry

There will be quantum computers very soon, and our silicon computers will be really classical. This is a breakthrough in quantum computers, with they now being able to calculate chemical reactions.

But the question remains, will we have quantum conputers in our room? And how complex will they be, and will they one day replace our PCs?

A team of quantum physicists has taken the first steps towards using a quantum computer to predict how a chemical reaction will take place.

Even the most powerful classical computers struggle when trying to calculate how molecules will interact in a chemical reaction. That's partly because the complexity of such systems doubles with the addition of every atom, as each atom is entangled with all the others.

Such escalating complexity is far easier for a quantum computer to deal with, because quantum computers exhibit similar properties: adding just one extra quantum bit or "qubit" doubles computational power. "There is a natural match between quantum computers and modelling chemistry," says Andrew White at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

Source: www.newscientist.com...

Journal Chemistry Nature

[edit on 11-1-2010 by sunny_2008ny]

As far as quantum computers being in our room, I don't think it would happen. Why? Well, there are people that still don't know a damn thing about computers and other people would rather lounge and play CSS 24/7.

Quantum computers I see a learning benifit to humanity, however, such complex machines would go to waste by idiots whom have no interest in education and to do nothing but "Game" all day, every day. Such a shame.

reply to post by sunny_2008ny


Great Post!

Yes - be assured - Quantum Computers will be coming to a living room near you very soon.

However, that may be delayed somewhat by the Military Idustrial Complex which either already has or will soon have a practical Quantum Computer.

This is infered by the common understanding that in most tech the U.S. Military is about 20 years ahead of commercially available products.

(this is sometimes because of their research insights and sometimes because of them seizing private research and delaying it's public reveal)

In either case - due to the massive power of a Quantum personal computer - the MIC may restrict civilian access for an unaturally long period.

I personally think they DO have such a system operational - making the Total Information Awareness Project practical for profiling subjects in Real Time - instead of an immense but impotent database of possible connections between individuals and groups - as it would be on most known supercomputers.

I expect in 20 years or less - regardless of their desires - it will be impossible to put the Genie back in the Bottle and this tech will become available for civilian uses.



[edit on 11-1-2010 by TruthMagnet]

Originally posted by QuantumDeath
As far as quantum computers being in our room, I don't think it would happen. Why? Well, there are people that still don't know a damn thing about computers and other people would rather lounge and play CS 24/7.

Quantum computers I see a learning benifit to humanity, however, such complex machines would go to waste by idiots whom have no interest in education and to do nothing but "Game" all day, every day. Such a shame.

Ok...

1st - Most people don't understand how current computers work - and - for all intents and purposes a Quantum computer would be no more complex to them then one running on an I7 Chip - just the applications that can be run on them will be far more useful.

and

2nd - I assume their are many machines and appliances that you yourself use - but are not an expert on - does that make you "unworthy" to use them as well?

Finally - your pedjudice against people who engage in "active entertainment" (i.e. Video Games) could be taken far more seriously if you weren't so illogical in your own arguments.

I believe "active participation" in entertainment - through sports or video games is far more beneficial for the mind than the glut of "passive entertainment" that most everyone in the world feeds upon nearly everyday.

This is a very exciting time in the world of computing, and quantum computing is going to bring real-time, live action, undiscernable virtual reality and its finally completely reachable fabrication to life.

And that's just one minuscule possibility for this new gigantic leap in computing power. It truly is going to foster a whole new world of only imagined potential.

This could put real-time holographic representation in the realm of possibility. We're talking the beginnings of the Holodeck. This will also put holo-world monitoring systems with every kind of real-time data projection and extrapolation at hand. A globe that has what's going on now on it, including any genre of information we choose to monitor, with information from sensors being placed around the globe being projected in real-time as well onto it (i.e. Actual Real-time Resource Management!).

Imagination is literally the only check to whatever quantum computing can bring. I was definitely born 40 years early. Very exciting indeed.

Star & Flag

Anyways...

It has always been my take that quantum computing would lead us to truly "Star Trek"-like technologies. There is even postulation on using multiverse connected quantum computers for computation....