We thought long and hard about what we should name our building. We looked back in time at technology to the names of the first supercomputers. We looked at famous scientists that created huge leaps forwards to reach the technological world we know today. Then we looked to the future. We wanted to aspire to technology that has not yet come to fruition, but one that we know will change the world as we know it. This may sound dramatic and there is always tech fatigue with the ‘next big thing’ but this really is, and we wanted to make sure we are part of it. So, we have named our building ‘Quantum Point’.
Some of you may know a lot about quantum technology, and others, not yet. Well, get ready, in the next decade, quantum technology is set to change everything. The word quantum will probably summon up images of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. And yes, it is about sub-atomic physics. It’s about harnessing what is happening inside atoms.
Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems involving vast amounts of information, such as modelling complex chemical processes, far better and faster than modern computers. They will be able to deliver the technology’s long-promised ability to help scientists do things like develop miraculous new materials, encrypt data with near-perfect security and accurately predict how Earth’s climate will change. This may be more than a decade away but IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel and other tech heavyweights are in a race to be the first to offer the first mass-production quantum computers.
It is not only the speed of the quantum computer that is attractive. It will be possible to find solutions that are far beyond the reach of the most powerful computers we know today. Google wants to use quantum technology to improve its Web search and speech recognition technology, whereas NASA believes that supercomputers will help to model space weather, simulate planetary atmospheres and analyse large amounts of mission data.
The advantages are countless, and the fact that this future is fast approaching is a little bit scary but exciting at the same time.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this emerging technology. BUT overall, we hope you like the name of our building and that it is a testament to how we will continue to innovate and move to the future together.
If you want to know more…….. the idea of quantum computing is revolutionary because it is capable of replacing conventional computers that are based on the binary number system. Rather than storing information as 0s and 1s, a quantum computer uses ‘qubits’, (the quantum analog of the bit) which can be a 1, or 0, or both at the same time – a process called quantum superposition. This allows computers to consider and manipulate all combinations of bits simultaneously, making technology incredibly fast and powerful. According to the findings published in the Nature Communications journal, the superposition is very delicate, but scientists discovered that silicon can provide a clean and safe environment for the phosphorus atoms trapped inside, where the quantum information is stored.
7 June, 2018
