- All of the digital technologies that we're using today
have something in common.
They process instructions as a series of ones and zeros
and they perform binary operations.
But we are on the cusp of a new technology revolution
that will be super charged by quantum computers.
In computer speak,
the smallest unit of data is called a bit.
A bit is binary.
It can be either a one or a zero.
And everything the computers do today
can be decomposed into ones and zeros.
Lots of them.
That approach works really well
for black and white problems
but it isn't the most efficient way
to solve complex problems
when there's a lot of uncertainty
or when we're looking at lots of different scenarios.
And that's what makes quantum computing so interesting.
With quantum computing,
we replace the binary bits from our current computers
with a new unit called qubits.
A qubit can be both a one and a zero at the same time.
This is called super position.
That difference means that quantum computers are ideal
for solving complex problems
where there are lots of possible scenarios
that need to be considered at the same time.
Things like network planning, routing and forecasting.
Rather than simulating each scenario independently,
quantum computers will allow us to simulate
all of the possible scenarios at the same time.
Quantum computers will also be very useful
for protecting our technology infrastructure.
The way that we protect data from hackers
is by using mathematical algorithms to encrypt the data.
If we want to have a higher level of protection,
then we need to use more complex algorithms.
And in order to use those complex algorithms,
we need the power of quantum computers.
We're still in the very early stages
of developing quantum computers,
but I predict that they're going to become very important
for planning manufacturing, inventory and transportation.
And that could happen a lot faster than many people expect.
If you're interested in digging deeper
into quantum computing,
look for Jonathan Reichental's course,
Introduction to Quantum Computing
here in the library.