it was something i never thought would happen, i was mentioned on...a physics blog! not only that, but i connected physicists who blog to other physicists who blog. this is sure to lead to some sort of chain reaction that will make the quantum computer available to us all...that. much. sooner.
this is important.
moore's law states that the number of transistors on a
microsprocessor continue to double every 18 months. so by the year 2025(?) the circuits on a microprocessor will be measured on an atomic scale. so we need these quantum computers which, by harnessing the power of atoms and molecules, have the potential to perform billions of times faster than silicon-based
computers. more memory, faster processing.
i don't even know if i understand it all that well, but i find it fascinating none-the-less. especially that the basic root idea of quantum computing is something that was "discovered" so long ago. dual particle-wave behavior was first suggested in the 1920's by louis de broglie:
This dual particle-wave property is exploited in quantum computing in the following way. A wave is spread out in space. In particular, a wave can spread out over two different places at once. This means that a particle can also exist at two places at once. This concept is called the superposition principle - the particle can be in a superposition of two places.
the first computer wasn't created until 1941 (by konrad zuse) - a 30 ton machine equipped with 18000 vacuum tubes and 500 miles of wiring.
read more about gordon moore, his law, and quantum computing here. and visit the centre for quantum computation here.
tomorrow stay tuned for the aaron joseph sturmthal bergman mix tape special! in the meantime, if you know about any of this please feel free to correct me or fill in the blanks in comments...
Did you know there are 40,000 nanometers in a human hair? And if that doesn't whet your appetite, there are 1000 angstrongs in a nanometer. Nice.
Posted by: Natten | May 04, 2005 at 05:22 PM
As an employed astrophysicist, I'll put my stamp of approval on the post. There are big differences in standard silicon-based computers and quantum computers, but that's all details.
Natten, there are 10 Angstroms in one nanometer. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=angstroms+in+nanometers
Posted by: Ryan | May 04, 2005 at 09:13 PM