DoE seeking fault-tolerant quantum computer ... by 2028

The US Department of Energy hopes to spur creation of something no one has yet realized: a fault-tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computer, and to do it within a couple of years with relatively little federal funding upfront. The DoE announced its Quantum Genesis Q Competition, an initiative that it said in a request …

[Anonymous Coward]

Coming soon

Coming soon:

- Quantum computer by 2028

- Fusion Energy by 2029

- Profitable AI company by 2030

[GlenP]

Re: Coming soon

My first though was that they'll be able to power it using fusion energy - that must be ready by then.

[Anonymous Custard]

Re: Coming soon

You forgot the application opportunity for piloting flying cars by 2031

[vtcodger]

Re: Coming soon

A first generation flying "car" within 5 years. Could actually happen. HOWEVER, you'll probably need a pilots license of some sort. And it'll likely cost $200,000 or more. And, in the case of the Switchblade you'll apparently need to spend a week or two in Bend Oregon "building" yours. And God only knows how you'll insure it. It's not clear what the story is with the Terrafugia is. Development was moved to China in 2021 and it doesn't seem to have been heard from since.

[katrinab]

Re: Coming soon

Quantum computers do somewhat exist, it is just that there doesn't appear to be any practical use for them beyond breaking certain types of cryptography, and we've mostly switched to quantum-proof cryptography, so that isn't really a practical use either.

[druck]

Re: Coming soon

I believe an existing Quantum computer may have factored a number under 10, so my 4096 bit RSA and 256 bit AES keys are quaking in their boots.

Meanwhile snakeoil salesmen are doing a roaring trade flogging unproven quantum safe algorithms.

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

Re: Coming soon

What about an Infinite Improbability Drive by 2031?

[Will Godfrey]

On the other hand...

I claim my free white unicorn.

[rskurat]

free money

this looks like a simple and easy way to pass out $250K checks to their friends and acquaintances

[david 12]

DOE

Department of Energy doesn't have the kind of money Defense has.

But I don't know why DOE is putting up the money anyway: 2 years ago DARPA (defense) suggested that Quantum Computing would not help with Fusion: https://www.theregister.com/on-prem/2024/06/24/darpa-finds-quantum-computers-have-promise-problems/697243

"future quantum computers are unlikely to provide utility for incompressible CFD applications unless significant algorithmic advancements or alternative quantum approaches are developed."

[Anonymous Coward]

Riding the Gravy Train

1. Form company.

2. Enter contest.

3. Collect $ (Profit!)

4. Build Quantum Computer model from Lego.

5. Demo the model. "And when you turn the crank on the side, you can see the simulated electrons change their orientation..."

[ADJB]

Re: Riding the Gravy Train

Are you seriously trying to tell me that $1.5 million would cover the costs of the lego?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Riding the Gravy Train

That's probably for the latest Death Star Lego set or something...

[Roland6]

How do you know a quantum computer has failed?

Ignoring the obvious loss of power etc. failure modes, my mind has gone straight to multi-way voting systems(*) as deployed in SSI railway signalling systems, space shuttle etc. where the systems are comparing behaviours and outputs to determine if one of their number is suffering from a software failure.

(*) Think of multiple Schrödinger's cats and trying to determine which one has given an incorrect result when the boxes are opened.

[Groo The Wanderer - A Canuck]

So which of the tech mogul billionaires was having a crack/meth/opiate/ketamine/all-of-the-above party to dream up this one? :o

[Groo The Wanderer - A Canuck]

Seeing as it's to be "quantum", I guess it will rely on spin-coordination between the two nodes to provide synchronization over infinite distances, eh? Genuine "Star Trek" fantasy stuff! *LOL

[Sproggit]

I Have One Available Now...

... which I will be more than happy to sell for, say, 50 billion.

Now, there's something very special about my fault-tolerant quantum computer, because it *also* comes with a full implementation of the Schrödinger-Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Engine - included for no extra charge.

The SHUPE is a particularly sophisticated piece of technology, but it does mean that you won't actually be able to open up my incredibly Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer to see how it works, because the moment you open it's box, all the interior logic will immediately move to a special quantum state, known as ... vanished.

What's that you say? It looks like a cardboard box covered in sticky-backed plastic?

Well, only someone ignorant of the latest, cutting-edge quantum computer build techniques would think that!

[Anonymous Coward]

Neutron gun sales will see uptickn

People who don't want their RSA codes broken will want a neutron gun.