Quantum Computers
Where’s Majel Roddenberry when you need her?
According to the Technology Review, we’re only three years away from a quantum computer. What does that mean? Calculations on an unimaginable order of magnitude greater speeds than any we’ve know so far, among other things. At least, the speeds and calculations are unimaginable to me! Really fast stuff. And, also, these computers will be able to factor all kinds of horribly complicated equations that we can only just concieve of now. Truly, it will result in a computer not too far removed from that of the U.S.S. Enterprise, which was able to calculate all sorts of obscure probabilities from pretty fuzzy word problems asked by the crew. Indeed, this might be the first step towards true machine intelligence.
Eventually, that is. The computer they’re predicting in the next three years won’t be anything close to that, but, apply Moore’s Law to that and consider the difference between the 8088’s of ten or twelve years ago to the Pentium 4’s of today. The possibilities are endless.
