video
Roundtable
Will Computers Take a Quantum Leap?
Weird physics may spawn the next high tech. Three scientists who research the peculiar and tantalizing world of quantum computing speculate about how the fundamentals of quantum mechanics will revolutionize computing and thereby transform our lives. Using atomic and subatomic particles to store, retrieve, and manipulate data promises more than a new way to miniaturize computing. This segment’s guests review several highly anticipated applications of quantum computing, including communications systems that are impervious to spying, atomic clocks, and global positioning systems that offer a degree of precision heretofore unimagined, and an opportunity to understand more fully the physics or chemistry of complex systems. With David DiVincenzo, Seth Lloyd, K. Birgitta Whaley.