Quantum computing: d-wave 2

[Nika_W84]

Anyone familiar with this proficiently enough to explain it more in depth to me? Darby? Practical applications? defense/military uses? (D-wave has sold a unit to a defense contractor whom they've declined to name....)

Any other thoughts on this?

 

[Einstein]

I don't know too much about it. Just a general idea on how it works. Rather than ones and zeros, the quantum computers have incorporated an additional state with a one and zero state superimposed. To me it just looks like they found a way to make a base two computer into a base three computer. Probably very cheaply too. But with all the talk about it, it wont be sold cheaply. Probably only something the government can afford. Of course it brings to mind something else for the government to buy as well.

 

[Nika_W84]

As I mentioned above a confidential defense firm purchased one, and recently so did google. It comes with a price tag of 10m

 

[vodkafan]

I don't think any of us ordinary folks grasp the implications of quantum computing so far- I know I don't. I keep thinking, well what do we need that kind of computational capability for anyway? What will we use it for? But I am sure that's what people said when the Wright brothers were trying to get their contraption off the ground.
I bet it will open up new areas of physics though.

 

[Nika_W84]

I don't think any of us ordinary folks grasp the implications of quantum computing so far- I know I don't. I keep thinking, well what do we need that kind of computational capability for anyway? What will we use it for? But I am sure that's what people said when the Wright brothers were trying to get their contraption off the ground.
I bet it will open up new areas of physics though.

Are you familiar with Ray Kurzweil?

Imagine what he could invent with this technology and the resources of Google. Considering what Ray's personal goals are, I am a bit nervous about him, or his team, being in possession of this. Don't get me wrong, I admire Ray and think he is absolutely BRILLIANT. But some of his goals make me afraid for the safety of humanity. Initially, I think that his invention using QC as a tool will be nothing short of revolutionary. But ultimately, I am afraid that the kind of future he envisions for us will lead us to extinction.

brainstorm with me....what types of problems could be solved using QC?

 

[vodkafan]

Are you familiar with Ray Kurzweil?

Imagine what he could invent with this technology and the resources of Google. Considering what Ray's personal goals are, I am a bit nervous about him, or his team, being in possession of this. Don't get me wrong, I admire Ray and think he is absolutely BRILLIANT. But some of his goals make me afraid for the safety of humanity. Initially, I think that his invention using QC as a tool will be nothing short of revolutionary. But ultimately, I am afraid that the kind of future he envisions for us will lead us to extinction.

brainstorm with me....what types of problems could be solved using QC?

I know that there are still theoretical mathematics problems that would take digital computers hundreds of years to solve...sounds mind boggling I know but I read of it in a biography about Paul Erdos. So those are obvious targets...then there is probability and Chaos theory, Anything that has a huge number of variables like weather patterns, predicting El Nino events..patterns of disease spreading. And of course AI.

 

[vodkafan]

I am not worried it will lead to extinction. I have no doubt he wants to make us "better" consumers though.

 

[Nika_W84]

Very

I know that there are still theoretical mathematics problems that would take digital computers hundreds of years to solve...sounds mind boggling I know but I read of it in a biography about Paul Erdos. So those are obvious targets...then there is probability and Chaos theory, Anything that has a huge number of variables like weather patterns, predicting El Nino events..patterns of disease spreading. And of course AI.[/quot

I am not worried it will lead to extinction. I have no doubt he wants to make us "better" consumers though.

Those uses for quantum computing are very good suggestions. The possibilities seem so endless to me that it is difficult for me to think in terms of a itemized list of targets. My ideas spin into each other, one idea quickly leading to another, too fast for me to really allow them to be explored. Which is why I started this thread- I thought by participating on dialogue with others I might be able to slow down the excited ideas into a more cohesive exploration of each idea.

Disease and weather patterns: disaster prevention methods could be fined tuned and very effective! That would be quite a positive outcome of quantum computing, and averting disaster/preventing disease before it even takes place would certainly extend life expectancy. Extended life, and improved quality of life, would allow humans to focus longer amounts of attention on solving other key issues. We would have the time and tools to solve problems like energy production, new fuel sources for space travel, and astronauts could live longer, therefore travel further.

A focus on the more positive effects of plausible targets for quantum computing is a favorable conversation. I still worry though of the negative impacts of this technology if in the wrong hands. There is no way to prevent that. Google was asked to create an ethnics committee by the last company they purchased. (Specifically to oversee ray's team and the development of ai) obviously, there is real concern over the direction such a technology could take, and indeed a fear that the direction would take a life of its own that humans would not be prepared for. Deliberately programmed flaws in ai or limitations on humanistic capability is important to me, and I think will be important to others as this tech advances into every aspect of our lives.

Ray's ideas for ai, reverse engineering of the brain, and upload/download into hosts of "self" beg the question: what makes you YOU? Will these hosts be you, or merely a highly advanced biological hybrid that believes it is you?

I would feel much safer if the idea of replacing pieces of the brain as they begin to degrade were explored.

 

[Nika_W84]

I apologize in advance for the length of my response.

 

[Darby]

Nika,

In an admittedly somewhat-sidestepping-the-question response I'll answer your post:

I wouldn't be too concerned about either Google or D-Wave; at least not for now. A lot of "peer review" has been happening over the past few months by running classical annealing software on standard PC's against the D-Wave claim of having developed a quantum computer. D-Wave is failing the tests. Standard PC's are working the same problems at equal or better speed that the D-Wave. The evidence has mounted so convincingly that D-Wave has changed their nomenclature and no longer call the D-Wave a quantum computer. They invented a new term. They have renamed the gadget a "quantum optimizer."

See the articles below for further details.

Shtetl-Optimized » Blog Archive » D-Wave: Truth finally starts to emerge
D-Wave's Quantum Computing Claim Disputed Again - IEEE Spectrum
Google's quantum computer flunks landmark speed test - tech - 15 January 2014 - New Scientist
DWave’s updated quantum optimizer gets beaten by a classical computer | Ars Technica

I'll offer the caveat again: When you read a pop-sci article about, especially, emerging technology and/or physics do so with a large grain of salt in hand. Most pop-sci writers haven't the foggiest clue about the subject at hand and therefore don't even know what to question let alone what questions to ask. They simply regurgitate whatever lines are fed them. Because they are clueless they tend to even get the hand fed lines wrong.

This is the case with D-Wave. The media wrote whatever they were told because it was strange and exciting news that was good fodder for alt-sci forum readers and posters...who never bother to question "strange and exciting". They only bother to question "old and boring" - like the basic laws of physics. (After all, physics and the laws of physics involves a democracy of ideas where one idea is just as valid as all other ideas. Just ask around these parts. )