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Originally Posted by Radar
No, I said that the leader in Quantum Computer research (D-Wave Systems) says they'll have a working model in 3 years.
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A startup company desperate to entice investors says they will have a quantum computer in three years? Even Transmeta did not make what they hoped would be a Pentium competitor - existing technology - that quick. New products typically take 4 to 10 years to design. And that does not include time for 'basic' research. But D-Wave needs investors. Therefore they
claim to be the industry leader. That is proof that a quantum computer is only years away? 2008? We now have details behind that claim and appreciate why the claim was really not reasonable.
I challenged Radar; making him provide those details. As usual, the 'devil is in those details'.
That multi-Terabyte memory chip is actually a large system containing thousand of memory chips. Obviously with basic grasp of reality and the numbers, a Terabyte memory chip did not exist; despite what Radar posted. Meanwhile IBM's earlier 3 Terabyte data storage unit (that does the same thing slower) has already been retired to places like the Encryption Museum in Fort Meade MD. The technology is has been that old. It too was not a memory chip. But IBMs 3 Terabyte storage unit now long since retired demonstrates that 2.5 Terabyte RAM drive is not a major technological breakthrough. Radar only demonstrates someone has deep pockets and a need.
Amazing how the poster changes his claims when challenged. It is a shame that he would also insult those who correctly challenged what was a post chock full of errors.
Again, it is that devil - those little details - that forced Radar to change his tune. Rush Limbaugh does same by simply forgetting those details. It’s called propaganda. Propaganda must make extravagant claims - and never provide those details.
Meanwhile, I see nothing new in Radar's citations other than the quantum computer technology has been performed in silicon and maybe some better use of quantum dots. Notice the temperature that some of these experiments are performed at ... 4 degrees above absolute zero. It's still a laboratory experiment in 'basic' research - too far from being moved into 'application' research and then into a marketable product.
Radar demonstrates what I had noted in a previous discussion. Quantum physics is to today's teenager what the transistor was to a teenager in 1960. Quantum physics is that important to this nation's future and to so many advances in technology. Need we note products currently based in quantum physics: the gigabyte disk drives and PET medical scans.
Radar has promoted the quantum computer like superconductivity was hyped maybe 20 years ago. Notice all those superconductive wires everywhere? Even a first trial in Chicago appears to have failed. But then taking something from 'basic' research, through 'application' research, and then to a marketable product requires typically at least 20 years.
Now that Radar has provided citations, his posts have returned to the realm of reality. Numerous quantum techniques are being tried and still in 'basic' research. The quantum computer as a viable product appears to be essential to our future and is at least a decade away. 20 years is not soon enough to avoid the brick wall that Moore's law may be approaching; no matter how many personal insults Radar includes in his reply.