Google claims quantum supremacy

[LupusDei]

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/google-quantum-computer-supremacy-claim

Google claims quantum supremacy by performing random circuit sampling a million times in 200 seconds using 53-qubit Sycamore chip. They claim this task would take 10,000 years for a classic supercomputer. IBM counters it by claiming, they could, in theory, emulate the results using advanced algorithms on the most powerful classical supercomputer on the planet within 2.5 days, but have not yet demonstrated that.

And no, it's not something very "everyday useful" they are talking about. But, you know, in principle, it's just a few relatively simple steps from cracking every digital cryptography currently in use.

 

[bellisarius]

Google huh? Well now, that technology couldn't be in better hands, could it?

 

[bigsly]

As usual, don't expect cypherpunks to so boastfully announce their countermeasuring achievements in public. They just code. Unlike Google, which just loves to pimp itself.

Google is like the stereotypical big, rich, deceitful, bloated, bureaucratic military, capable of great things but so utterly wasteful. Cypherpunks are guerillas, the very best at what they do, independent, efficient, and seriously principled ethically; they're the literal hands-on fighters Google envies most.

Cypherpunks are the very soul of cryptography.

 

[von_Bismarck]

IBM is disputing the claim. They have what they claim is a robust metric for quantum computer performance, and would prefer to do away with the label quantum supremacy. There probably is something useful to their metric, but a quantum computer that can solve problems in polynomial time that a classical computer could not was gonna happen sooner than later.

 

[von_Bismarck]

Technical point. Just read the sciencenews piece, had previously read about Google's quantum supremacy experiment elsewhere. Anyway, the author's invocation of the Church-Turing thesis is probably wrong. As far as I know, quantum Turing machines are not controversial.

 

[Kantarii]

How long before China steals the technology? Never mind, they’ve probably already got what they need by now.

 

[LupusDei]

How long before China steals the technology? Never mind, they’ve probably already got what they need by now.

Some say, they are actually leading in the field currently, and US, even Google, playing catchup right now.

 

[Biggs_Darklighter]

When Facgoogazon takes over the world I'm gonna say I told ya so.