Chetan Nayak

It's a great question because oftentimes people think that quantum computers are just a faster version of classical computers that are sped up by orders of magnitude, as you said. But actually, they're really a very different computing paradigm. In short, what a quantum computer aims to do

It's a great question because oftentimes people think that quantum computers are just a faster version of classical computers that are sped up by orders of magnitude, as you said. But actually, they're really a very different computing paradigm. In short, what a quantum computer aims to do

is to take advantage of the underlying laws of nature, which are quantum mechanics, so that you can have what's called a qubit, replacing the basic unit of information in a class computer as a bit. It's a zero or a one. A qubit, on the other hand, like Schrodinger's cat, which could be both dead and alive at the same time, a qubit can actually be both zero and one, in a quantum superposition.

is to take advantage of the underlying laws of nature, which are quantum mechanics, so that you can have what's called a qubit, replacing the basic unit of information in a class computer as a bit. It's a zero or a one. A qubit, on the other hand, like Schrodinger's cat, which could be both dead and alive at the same time, a qubit can actually be both zero and one, in a quantum superposition.

So a quantum computer takes advantage of that basic fact of nature, which although that's true of everything around us, we have the luxury of kind of forgetting about that or ignoring that as we go around our daily life. This computer screen in front of me is not both here and somewhere else, it's only here. And that's because as objects get larger, their quantum effects tend to get suppressed.

So a quantum computer takes advantage of that basic fact of nature, which although that's true of everything around us, we have the luxury of kind of forgetting about that or ignoring that as we go around our daily life. This computer screen in front of me is not both here and somewhere else, it's only here. And that's because as objects get larger, their quantum effects tend to get suppressed.

But as things get small, they actually, their quantum effects tend to get accentuated. And as Moore's Law has progressed over the last decades, the transistors on chips and the density of elements on processors has gotten so high and the transistors have gotten so small that they are getting really close to that world where quantum effects become important.

But as things get small, they actually, their quantum effects tend to get accentuated. And as Moore's Law has progressed over the last decades, the transistors on chips and the density of elements on processors has gotten so high and the transistors have gotten so small that they are getting really close to that world where quantum effects become important.

You could view that as potentially a disaster because you want your information to be a zero or a one. You don't want it to be both zero and one sometimes.

You could view that as potentially a disaster because you want your information to be a zero or a one. You don't want it to be both zero and one sometimes.

But it turns out it's also an opportunity because there are certain problems which are really difficult to solve ordinarily that a quantum computer, if we can build one of a large enough scale and stability, would be able to do relatively easily.

But it turns out it's also an opportunity because there are certain problems which are really difficult to solve ordinarily that a quantum computer, if we can build one of a large enough scale and stability, would be able to do relatively easily.

Well, as you said correctly, solids, liquids and gases are different states of matter. And as you continuously change, for instance, the temperature in a solid like ice, its properties change continuously. You know, you warm it up a little bit, its density changes a little bit. But then you get to the transition point.

Well, as you said correctly, solids, liquids and gases are different states of matter. And as you continuously change, for instance, the temperature in a solid like ice, its properties change continuously. You know, you warm it up a little bit, its density changes a little bit. But then you get to the transition point.

And at that transition point, a small change in temperature leads to a huge change in its properties. And it becomes water at the melting point. And then again, at the boiling point, it becomes steam. So there are clear distinctions between the solid ice and the liquid water. There are, as it turns out, there are actually finer classifications of solids.

And at that transition point, a small change in temperature leads to a huge change in its properties. And it becomes water at the melting point. And then again, at the boiling point, it becomes steam. So there are clear distinctions between the solid ice and the liquid water. There are, as it turns out, there are actually finer classifications of solids.

For instance, some solids are magnetic, some solids are non-magnetic, some solids are metallic, others are insulating, some are actually superconducting, you know, which is a remarkable phenomenon that occurs when you cool down metals. They tend to actually become better metals and better conductors as we make them colder.

For instance, some solids are magnetic, some solids are non-magnetic, some solids are metallic, others are insulating, some are actually superconducting, you know, which is a remarkable phenomenon that occurs when you cool down metals. They tend to actually become better metals and better conductors as we make them colder.

But then actually there's a very special point, the critical temperature, and below that temperature, it just falls off a cliff and goes to zero. And below that temperature, the resistance is just zero. That's a superconducting state. So that's a really cool state of matter discovered early in the 20th century.

But then actually there's a very special point, the critical temperature, and below that temperature, it just falls off a cliff and goes to zero. And below that temperature, the resistance is just zero. That's a superconducting state. So that's a really cool state of matter discovered early in the 20th century.