IBM just beat Google to a brand new type of computing-But Can It Play Minecraft?

[Mahkfrombos]

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/ibm-launches-first-quantum-computer-cloud-service-2016-5

 

IBM has released a publicly available, cloud quantum computer with a user interface to allow anyone with some algebra skills and some programming knowledge to create programs for it. The computer is 5 qubits, on par with a regular computer. The industry is expecting IBM and Google to race to somewhere around 50 qubits, much more powerful than today's super computers. This article focuses primarily on explaining the race between Google and IBM with some background on Quantum computing and specifics of this computer.

 

As someone who is new to the world of quantum computing (for those like me see Tech Quickie-Quantum Computing), it seems like this is next leap forward in processing power, especially as we hear Intel tell us that processing innovation is slowing. I appreciate the opportunity the IBM is offering the public to use this intro to the technology via a cloud service. The article seems to frame this milestone as a possible put down to Google as a way to for IBM to say "haha we're here first." It's going to be an interesting playing around with this though, is there a Programming in Quantum for Dummies yet?

 

 

Quote

 

On Wednesday, IBM scientists will make a quantum computer available to the public as a cloud service for the first time.

Although the cloud service is geared mostly toward scientists and students, anyone interested in this strange new computer will be able to give it a try, Jerry Chow, one of the scientists leading the project, tells Business Insider.

So the IBM team has created a tutorial to help people learn how to do it. You need high-school algebra skills and a background in programming. (It also helps to read a book on the subject before trying your first "Hello world" app, Chow advises.)
...

A quantum computer is different than today's digital computer.

A digital computer thinks in two states: zero and one (or off and on). A quantum computer uses "combinations of zeroes and ones" to creates multiple states. It can be a zero, a one, both at the same time, something in between them, or it can be a mysterious zero/one state that you can't really determine, Chow explains.

...

Quantum computers are also built differently. This one uses a silicon base, like regular computers, but relies on superconducting metals like niobium and aluminum that must be kept unbelievably cold. The low temperature brings out their special quantum mechanical properties.

So it's kept in a special fridge that keeps the computer at ".015 above absolute zero, which is colder than absolute space," Chow says. (See picture, below.)

The computer behind this cloud service is a five "quantum bits" (qubits) computer, which is powerful (other quantum computers have been 2 qubits), but not so much smarter than a regular supercomputer.

However, the industry is working its way up to a 50 qubits computer which would be so vastly more powerful than any of today's supercomputers.

 

 

Source 2: http://www.wired.com/2016/05/ibm-letting-anyone-play-quantum-computer/

[Arty]

pff only 5.35 GHZ

[mikat]

1 minute ago, Arty said:

pff only 5.35 GHZ

and they're even running on liquid helium, x86 can go much further with liquid helium

[manikyath]

so.. not sure if OP is trying to make a joke.. but quantum computing has nothing to do with how well it can run minecraft...

 

i mean, i dont see oracle porting java to quantum computing platforms any time before java is long forgotten, i mean it took us until well into the intel core i series and windows 7 for people to even care about 64 bit java, while even windows XP was available in 64 bit flavors.

 

also, from what i've seen quantum computing is mostly applicable to what'd now be "numbercrunching" aka multithreaded workloads.

 

or as a minecraft mod dev i've talked this over with in the past said: "its easy to make minecraft multithread, but the amount of desyncs and dupe bugs we'd have would skyrocket to hilareous proportions."

[Arty]

2 minutes ago, mikat said:

and they're even running on liquid helium, x86 can go much further with liquid helium

i wonder how much supply of LH they are going through just to keep this thing running.................

[mikat]

Just now, manikyath said:

so.. not sure if OP is trying to make a joke.. but quantum computing has nothing to do with how well it can run minecraft...

 

i mean, i dont see oracle porting java to quantum computing platforms any time before java is long forgotten, i mean it took us until well into the intel core i series and windows 7 for people to even care about 64 bit java, while even windows XP was available in 64 bit flavors.

 

also, from what i've seen quantum computing is mostly applicable to what'd now be "numbercrunching" aka multithreaded workloads.

 

or as a minecraft mod dev i've talked this over with in the past said: "its easy to make minecraft multithread, but the amount of desyncs and dupe bugs we'd have would skyrocket to hilareous proportions."

can it play x is always a joke

[Technic77]

This literally blows my mind. I wrote a research paper on quantum computing in college. I didn't think I'd be able to mess around with one so quickly! Very very cool stuff.

[manikyath]

Just now, Arty said:

i wonder how much supply of LH they are going through just to keep this thing running.................

i'd guess they basicly have a manufacturing facility next doors to keep a steady supply

[mikat]

Just now, Arty said:

i wonder how much supply of LH they are going through just to keep this thing running.................

they are cooling it down again i think  (closed loop liquid helium cooler) 

[manikyath]

Just now, mikat said:

can it play x is always a joke

but.. thats like asking if the new garmin GPS can run crysis...

[Arty]

2 minutes ago, mikat said:

they are cooling it down again i think  (closed loop liquid helium cooler) 

so then whats cooling the LH loop?

[mikat]

2 minutes ago, Arty said:

so then whats cooling the LH loop?

[mikat]

2 minutes ago, Arty said:

so then whats cooling the LH loop?

 

[themaniac]

Reads "programming background" ok what language will try to learn some basics of said language, reads "algebra" fuck... looks like i wont get a chance because of course fucking algebra

[Mahkfrombos]

28 minutes ago, manikyath said:

so.. not sure if OP is trying to make a joke.. but quantum computing has nothing to do with how well it can run minecraft...

 

i mean, i dont see oracle porting java to quantum computing platforms any time before java is long forgotten, i mean it took us until well into the intel core i series and windows 7 for people to even care about 64 bit java, while even windows XP was available in 64 bit flavors.

 

also, from what i've seen quantum computing is mostly applicable to what'd now be "numbercrunching" aka multithreaded workloads.

 

or as a minecraft mod dev i've talked this over with in the past said: "its easy to make minecraft multithread, but the amount of desyncs and dupe bugs we'd have would skyrocket to hilareous proportions."

Sorry thought joke was obvious. Didn't really expect to have the world's greatest minds using potentially mind-blowing computing technology to play minecraft.

[manikyath]

Just now, Mahkfrombos said:

Sorry thought joke was obvious. Didn't really expect to have the world's greatest minds using potentially mind-blowing computing technology to play minecraft.

theres an endless amount of better jokes to make than minecraft tho.

 

keep the minecraft one for the next time we break the GHz record

[mikat]

1 hour ago, manikyath said:

theres an endless amount of better jokes to make than minecraft tho.

 

keep the minecraft one for the next time we break the GHz record

*THz

[manikyath]

Just now, mikat said:

*THz

well, i was talking about regular ol' x86, and we're quite a while away from THz on x86

[spartaman64]

isnt the world record for a quantum computer calculation doing 3*5 or did things change by a lot 

[christianled59]

2 hours ago, themaniac said:

Reads "programming background" ok what language will try to learn some basics of said language, reads "algebra" fuck... looks like i wont get a chance because of course fucking algebra

How is knowing a programming language less daunting than knowing highschool algebra. Highschool algebra is simple. Learning C++ or c#? Kinda hard. 

[themaniac]

9 minutes ago, christianled59 said:

How is knowing a programming language less daunting than knowing highschool algebra. Highschool algebra is simple. Learning C++ or c#? Kinda hard. 

i just absolutely hate algebra

[christianled59]

13 minutes ago, themaniac said:

i just absolutely hate algebra

You need algebra for programming. So

[Coaxialgamer]

next up : a quantum computer cooled by a multi-KW peltier cooler . Oh the horrors.

[patrickjp93]

33 minutes ago, christianled59 said:

How is knowing a programming language less daunting than knowing highschool algebra. Highschool algebra is simple. Learning C++ or c#? Kinda hard. 

C++ for application development is easy. It's only if you're going into library and embedded system development that it gets difficult, especially with the C++ 11 and 14 standards.

[christianled59]

Just now, patrickjp93 said:

C++ for application development is easy. It's only if you're going into library and embedded system development that it gets difficult, especially with the C++ 11 and 14 standards.

I agree. I mean in its context. I use c++ in ue4. However, I'd consider highschool algebra much easier than learning any programming language. Including something as simple as Python.