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How Can You Tell If You Have a Quantum Computer?

February 15, 2007, 1:30 pm

Few technologies are more tantalizing than quantum computing, which promises to revolutionize research by allowing gigantic tasks to be completed at lightning speeds. Really, there’s just one problem with quantum computing: Nobody’s all that sure how it works.

A company called D-Wave Systems claims it has already built “the world’s first commercial quantum computer,” according to the Associated Press, but some experts in the field aren’t so sure. D-Wave officials have not let outsiders closely inspect the machine, and it appears that while the device makes use of quantum mechanics, it may not count officially as a quantum computer.

Confusing? Definitely. In fact, scientists say, it’s likely to be years — maybe decades — before research in quantum computing yields huge dividends. —Brock Read

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