The power of nanosecond computing is changing what we know and when we know it.
5/12/2003
Most computers work using simple on-off, 0 and 1 technology. A word-processing document, from the computer's view, is composed of a chain of 0s and 1s. Now imagine a computer in which each switch is the size of an individual atom. It's called quantum computing, and while still in the early development stage, this realization of quantum mechanics could have profound impacts on society, argues George Johnson, a science writer for The New York Times. In contrast to the binary nature of today's computing, a quantum bit, or qubit, can be in several states at once: It can exist as a 0, a 1, or simultaneously as both 0 and 1, also known as a "superposition." This turns conventional computing architecture on its keyboard, speeding up computing power incredibly and allowing us to take a shortcut through time by reducing the time it takes to solve complex problems. Johnson sees applications in everything from cryptography to the study of quantum physics itself—if sizable roadblocks can be overcome. An entertaining and educational read in a slim volume.