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Google’s Quantum Computing Breakthrough
- 11 Dec 2024
- 2 min read
Google has unveiled a new quantum computer featuring a chip called Willow, capable of performing calculations in under five minutes that would take the most advanced supercomputers over 10 septillion years (a length of time that exceeds the age of the known universe).
- This achievement, described as “quantum supremacy,” signifies that Google’s quantum computer can perform tasks beyond the reach of traditional computers.
- However, these tasks, such as generating random numbers, are primarily theoretical and lack immediate practical applications like drug discovery.
- A significant breakthrough includes surpassing the "error correction threshold," an important milestone toward reducing computational errors and enabling practical applications.
- Scientists are now shifting focus toward achieving "quantum advantage," where quantum computers could drive advancements in practical fields like AI, chemistry, and medicine.
- Traditional Computing vs Quantum Computing: Traditional computers process information as "bits," each representing either a 1 or a 0, to perform calculations.
- In contrast, quantum computers leverage "qubits," which can exist as both 1 and 0 simultaneously, harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics.
- This unique property allows qubits to exist in multiple states at once, enabling exponential increases in computational power.
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