Quantum computing remains an area fraught with challenges, but key breakthroughs this month show it is not out of reach.
Quantum computing will change everything – or so the hype would have you believe. In fiction, they are often portrayed as machines with esoteric capabilities such as showing real-life videos of Jesus (streaming platform Hulu’s limited series Devs) or communicating with dark matter (broadcaster BBC’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials novels).
These scenarios are obviously fantastical – if highly enjoyable – concepts and they are what science fiction often does best: take almost incomprehensibly complex technologies that remain out of reach for now and have them make sense in imaginary universes to great effect.
And while no sane person would expect to actually see a video of Jesus’ last words on the cross, it all speaks to this idea that quantum computing could theoretically achieve anything we set our minds to.
But quantum computing is not a magical machine. Its core advantage is to solve complex calculations at…
Thierry Heles
Thierry Heles is the editor of Global University Venturing, host of the Beyond the Breakthrough interview podcast and responsible for the monthly GUV Gazette (sign up here for free).
