A single adult human is composed of more than seven octillion atoms (that's 7,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000). To build a conventional computer with the same power as IBM's new 127-qubit (we'll come to them in a moment) Eagle processor, the number of traditional computer bits needed would be more than the number of atoms contained in all the Earth's population - more than 7.5 billion people.
It's not hard to see why quantum computing is a potentially game-changing and mind-blowing science.
The technology isn't perfected yet, but predictions are that the problems they could solve are way beyond the realm of traditional computing, including better ways of managing risk and optimising returns in investment portfolios.
But first, the science. According to IBM's manager for quantum applications research and software, Stefan Woerner, today's computers manipulate individual bits to do calculations and store information as a 1 or a 0.
Quantum computers rely on qubits, which can be both land 0 at once in a combination of states. He says it's a fundamentally different way to process information.
"They are not a replacement for classical [computers]," he says. "They complement our classical systems by possibly being able to solve some forms of intractable problems that become extremely large or time-consuming during computation."
Peter Turner, the chief executive of the Sydney Quantum Academy, says quantum computing is part of the wider development of quantum physics with technology being developed in three key areas: sensing, communications and information technology.
Who stands to benefit
He says Australia has been at the forefront of quantum technology, though much of the development of things like quantum computers is happening overseas with companies such as Google and IBM.
この記事は Money Magazine Australia の June 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Money Magazine Australia の June 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
An outrageous, beautiful monopoly
Telstra's mobile business is a cash machine with few competitors, giving it the highest returns in the world.
Drop the anchor to judge value
Buying and selling decisions should be based on where a stock price is going, not where it has been.
Powering the AI boom
Beyond the software and chipmakers, where will the energy come from?
Get into life
Tucked inside super are products that can protect you from life's inevitable uncertainties.
Paths to home ownership
Taking the road less travelled can sometimes deliver unexpected benefits.
Sold! Quick ways to add value
Small, strategic changes can have a big impact on the look and feel of your home. And get you a better price on auction day.
Money lessons the kids need to know
Your children can learn a lot from your past money mishaps. Here are eight financial conversations I have had with mine.
Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?
The pressure for the government to curb the tax benefits of tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, is unrelenting. Most recently, independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie proposed five options for paring back investment property tax concessions, with savings to the Federal budget of up to $60 billion over the next decade.
What's love got to do with it?
A rollercoaster of emotions could be driving poor crypto behaviour.
Are we ready to be cash-free?
Saying goodbye to our piggy banks too soon could leave small businesses in the dark when problems arise.
