I am speaking of quantum computers of course, and all the inevitable changes that will occur once they are a part of our lives.
For those who haven't been keeping up, Quantum computing is more or less the same kind of computing we use today, only done with light instead of electrons. That is, Optical (or EMF) logic gates, instead of semi-conductor and wire.
It has been estimated that computers using this technology will be BILLIONS of times faster than they are today.
Heres an example... Breaking encryption today can take the largest supercomputers in the world, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, more than 40 years. Using the simplest method available, Brute force (trying every key possible, until the right one is found). Using quantum computers, this could be done in a fraction of a second.
This is profound if you see it like I do.
For the first time in history, it will be faster and more efficient to brute force a complex problem, than to figure it out with logical thinking.
Look closely at what I'm saying..
Chemistry: We have a good, working, mathematical model of what the world does at the atomic level. Chemistry simulators will be able to run experiments at super speed, even calculating complex atoms like uranium, and organic chemistry at a pace never before dreamed of. If you're looking solve a complex chemical process, simply define your wanted outcome, and let the computer try every possibility until it finds the process you want. It would only take a couple hours at most.
Engineering, again, we have the underlying mathematical model, allow the computer to run with that in the same way as the chemistry simulator. You'll end up with a detailed blueprint of a product that does exactly what you want it to do, in no time at all. You don't even have to know how it works, just that it performs exactly like you want it to.
Space ships, engines, life support systems, medicine. Nearly everything we do today could be revolutionized with this very basic idea of brute-forcing the possibilities.
They do this in a small scale today, to design complex products like antennae. Sort of a mechanical evolution, Try it twenty different ways, pick the best performer of those twenty, then tweak that one twenty different ways finding the best performer. Until you have the best performing generation. Of course this is slow, because they have to do it manually... Think how fast it could be done with accurate simulation software that runs a million times faster than real time.
Synthetic evolution...
I do see this as an eventual nessesity to future human progress, if things continue on the path that we're on today, a person will have to spend a lifetime learning the things their fathers already spent a lifetime learning, BEFORE they can ever contribute themselves... Wheres the progress in that? There will come a time when even specialists don't have enough years in their life to make significant offerings to their field. So What else can be done? Build a computer to do it for us, so that we may reap the benefits early in life.
What do you think?Statistics: Posted by Cryptonic26 — Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:55 pm
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