Quantum Power on your Desktop?

With technological demand in full swing, engineers are tasked with keeping up the progressive pace.

One of the powerful steps into the world of tomorrow is the quantum computer. The derives from its baffling power to calculate quantum mechanics as they would be observed in nature, as opposed to how they would work under assumptions. Cause you know what they say about assumptions. Makes an "ass" out of "u" and "umptions".

Experts from Harvard and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia have begun the design of a computer that can use highly complex algorithms to compute the quantum mechanics, according to Charles Petit of Science News. The head of the Harvard group, Alán Aspuru-Guzik, had been working on algorithms of this power, but never had the kind of technology to test his theories. Collaborating with the University of Queensland allowed him to work with actual hardware to program and test. On principle, the quantum computer would be, "about the size of a fingernail," according to a physicist at University of Queensland, Andrew G. White. For the sake of ease, they spread it out over a square meter of the lab. Smaller isn't all better, sometime you just need to be able to twist and crank with your bare hands.

The revolutionary breakthrough that this team has accomplished is the alteration of the binary system. A classical computer will use a "1" or a "0" for its codes. The new quantum system will incorporate both "1" and "0" as well as numerous combination of the two, such as: 1+0, 01, or 0-1. According to Science Daily, these quantum computing factors, or qubits, will expand the processing power far beyond that of conventional computers. With this computer in use, physicists are able to record the data of the entangled photons of a hydrogen atom at 20 quantum measurements for highly precise data.

Using the Schrödinger's cat theory, University of Washington professor Boris Blinov states that quantum systems will be able to create a parallel example of molecular nature. With two correlating cats in separate boxes given the same situation, you need only observe one of them to know what would be happening to the other. These types of algorithms would allow physicists to create mock-ups of natural occurrences and compute their respective outcomes.

This kind of power has other "real world" uses outside of the science community. We could use this processing power to quickly eliminate passwords that would otherwise need years of brute computing, says Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo. He goes on to explain that companies that run search engines, like Google or Yahoo, would benefit from the boost in processing power.

Unfortunately, the quantum computer is still but a dot on the horizon. There are still issues regarding the capabilities of this computer and just how reliable they can be. When computers first switched from tubes to transistors, there was a backlash of failures from the relatively new hardware. Following that trend, it will be a long time until anyone will sit down with a quantum laptop.

~Sept

Science of Disaster, Haiti Quake

The disaster that struck in Port-au-Prince has shocked the American population. However, there are those amongst the masses who are viewing the situation with a critical eye. Geologists are analyzing the factors of this quake and are unsurprised that such an event managed to happen.

The effects of this magnitude 7.0 earthquake included toppling houses and bringing down long-standing buildings, devastating the entire city. It would normally take an earthquake of much greater magnitude, in the range of 8.0 or higher, to do such damage. However, the foundation of the city must be taken into account.

When you step onto a dirt pathway, your steps will remain steady. If the dirt has been compromised, due to loosening or wetting from rainfall, your foot might just sink into the pathway. In the case of Port-au-Prince, the foundation of the city was already weak. Another facet in the equation is the fault line that runs through the Caribbean islands.

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault had been storing potential energy at 20 millimeters per year since a huge quake in 1760, said Paul Mann, a research scientist at the University of Texas. To put this into perspective, the Nevada Seismological Lab reported a comparison chart to regard the power of magnitudes on a more recognizable scale. At 1.5 and under, the power is equal to six ounces of TNT. The power of a 7.0 magnitude is equal to 32 million tons of TNT. On that fated Tuesday, the people of Port-au-Prince were sitting on a massive payload of energy that went off all at once.

This event may seem detached from us in the contingent America, but we in the Northwest have reason to shudder. We too rest upon a fault line. One that has likewise been storing up great energy. Hopefully, this disaster will be learned from and scientists will keep a keen eye on the activity of our home for any warning signs.