Today in non-depressing news: Boffins build biggest quantum sims

Two teams of researchers have created the world's largest publicly known quantum simulators – a type of quantum computer – each containing more than 50 qubits to model complex interactions between matter that cannot be performed with a conventional supercomputer. Quantum simulators are a restricted type of quantum computer …

[Anonymous Coward]

If they put enough of them together to acheive a critical mass ...

... they'll be able to bootstrap an Infinite Improbability Drive.

[A Non e-mouse]

Re: If they put enough of them together to acheive a critical mass ...

Don't forget the cup of tea!

[The First Dave]

Re: If they put enough of them together to acheive a critical mass ...

"If they put enough of them together to acheive a critical mass ... "

... then it will go boom, or at the very least fizz madly.

[Kaltern]

Come back when you can play Quantum Minesweeper, where the tiles both do and do not contain a mine...

[Paul Kinsler]

where the tiles both do and do not contain a mine...

It's fine. The mines both do and do not explode when you step on them. All you have to do is clear the whole field while ending up with with a non-zero probability of surviving.

Hmm, I wonder if you could make this work..?

[Rich 11]

Re: where the tiles both do and do not contain a mine...

All you have to do is clear the whole field while ending up with with a non-zero probability of surviving.

Pfft. Simple. Just generate an entire new universe each time and then exactly one of you will survive.

[davidp231]

Would that not be Schroedinger's Minesweeper?

[John Smith 19]

and can only simulate specific situations..So no, they can't play Crysis.

Which I think is a "Quantum leap" in reporting this sort of stuff.

In effect it can (potentially) generate a single 2^50 digit representing the states of all atoms in the cluster that represent, er something.

An obvious question is at what point do you get enough atoms together that it stops looking like a cluster of atoms (with various exotic quantum stuff going on) and look more like a lump of metal IE the "continuum approximation"

Closest thing to an actual QC seems to be something more like a FPGA where you program the connections between "cells" of quantum somethings, doing some kind of logic.

Well done for the rise in the quality of reporting this sort of thing.

[amanfromMars 1]

The Register Leads where Angel Investors Fear to Tread and Trade

Well done for the rise in the quality of reporting this sort of thing. ... John Smith 19

Seconded, John Smith 19. Bravo, El Reg. The Main Stream News teams are lagging ages behind the future with their presentations of the past to the masses. Whenever are they going to realise what is now so easily able to be done with Sublime Internet Networking computers/these magical tools at our fingertips?

The pictures they can paint for reality and populations to inhabit and nurture are infinitely superior to anything else being made available for markets to market and driver.