Open Password – Wednesday June 30, 2021
#941
Technological Race – USA – China – Quantum Computers – Lars Jaeger – Quantum Healing – Quantum Feng Shui – QuantumAITrade – Elon Musk – Chips – Moore’s Law – Supercomputers – VonNeumann Architecture – Miniaturization – Quantum Physics – Quantum Theory – Areas of Application – Cryptography – Data Security – Optimization tasks – Artificial intelligence – Deep neural networks – Search in large databases – Lov Grover – New chemical compounds – Haber-Bosch process – Electronic structure in crystals – Nanotechnologists – Answers to all open questions in nature – Brave Search – Heise Online – InetBib – Michael Schaarwächter – Librarian Day – Petition – John Wiley – Gale – Political Exremism and Radicalism – Dow Jones – Life & Work – Wolters Kluwer – Beyond Pandemic – Google – Antitrust Deal – Reed Exhibitions – Team Viewer – SAP – Bureau van Dijk – Credit Catalyst – Outsell
I. Cover story
Technological race between the USA and China: Gigantic hopes, billions in investments, but the pragmatic breakthrough of the quantum computer is still pending – Expected areas of application of the quantum computer: From cryptography to the electron structure in crystals
II. New search engine Brave Search
III. InetBib: Petition for more diversity
IV. International news
Technological race between USA and China
Gigantic hopes, billions in investments,
but the pragmatic breakthrough
of quantum computers is still pending
Expected areas of application
of quantum computers: From cryptography to the electronic structure in crystals
By Lars Jaeger
A term that seems as scary and bizarre as it is exciting and futuristic to most people is pushing into the sphere of public attention. It combines the apparent technological omnipotence of digital computing with the awe-inspiring abstractness of the most important physical theory of the 20th century. We are talking about the “quantum computer”. Behind this there should be no esoteric dreams of miraculous healings and soul cleansing (“quantum healing”), nor spiritual home furnishings (“quantum feng shui”), nor universally perfect love relationships (“quantum resonance”), nor any other suspicious connections that esoterics like to associate with “Quantum” association. This also does not include financial trading platforms that operate fraudulently, such as QuantumAITrade, which was recently falsely linked to Elon Musk. Rather, this presentation is about a technological revolution that is actually emerging and could shape the 21st century in much the same way that the development of digital circuits, lasers and atomic energy shaped the 20th century.
The elements of conventional chips now operate on an almost atomic scale. This means that the validity of Moore’s Law for classical computers is about to expire – with regard to computing speed, problem-solving capacity and efficiency in information processing. At the same time, a completely new possibility may be emerging to build computers that are much faster, even millions and billions of times more powerful than today’s fastest computers, namely quantum computers. Hopefully, with their help, problems can be solved that are far too complex for the “supercomputers” used today in physics, biology, weather research and elsewhere.
But aren’t the building blocks of conventional computers already based largely on quantum mechanical laws such as the transistor effect? In fact, the digital revolution of the 20th century would not have been possible without quantum physics.
Nevertheless, the structure and functionality of conventional computers, the so-called “VonNeumann architecture”, would in principle be possible without quantum physical effects. And in fact, the first computers in the 1940s still consisted of macroscopic tubes, diodes and capacitors. Quantum physics was only needed in the course of extreme miniaturization, which then made its enormous performance possible. While quantum effects often have a disruptive effect on conventional (“classical”) chips, quantum computers are based on the bizarre properties of quantum theory at their core and are based on a fundamentally different architecture and functionality than classical computers. In them, the flows of many electrons are no longer used to process and store information, as in classical computers; rather, they control and control individual quantum particles for the purpose of data storage and processing and directly exploit their quantum properties. This enables quantum computers, at least potentially, to achieve unimaginably higher computing speeds compared to conventional computers. They could master complexities that we are currently unable to predict, let alone control. Perhaps all that remains is a shudder of awe.
___________________________________________________________________________
Areas of application of quantum computers: cryptography, optimization, artificial intelligence, searching in databases, new chemical compounds and electronic structure.
___________________________________________________________________________
Below are six fields whose problems overwhelm today’s computers – no matter how big they are. At the same time, they show what fantastic possibilities open up with quantum computers:
1. Cryptography : Encryptions common today are based on the re-factorization of the products of two very large prime numbers. Once the number reaches a certain size, this task can no longer be solved by a classic computer. In 1994, computer scientist Peter Shor developed an algorithm with which a quantum computer could factor the largest products of prime numbers used today into their divisors within minutes. A quantum computer could easily crack conventional encryption methods for digital data, threatening overall data security worldwide. That makes them interesting and threatening at the same time, but not just for the military.
2. Solving complex optimization problems : The task of finding the optimal solution from many variants is considered particularly tricky by mathematicians. Such problems arise in areas as diverse as industrial logistics, the design of microchips and the optimization of traffic flows. Even with a small number of variants, classic computers are unable to calculate optimal solutions. Quantum computers, on the other hand, could solve larger optimization problems in a comparatively short time.
3. Artificial intelligence : The “deep neural networks” used in artificial intelligence are associated with hard combinatorial optimization problems that could be solved much faster and better by quantum computers than by classical computers. This could make today’s machines many times smarter.
4. Searching large databases : When searching through unsorted amounts of data, a classic computer must look at each data point individually. The search time therefore increases linearly with the number of data points and quickly becomes too long for a classic computer with larger amounts of data. In 1996, the computer scientist Lov Grover published a quantum computer algorithm for which the number of necessary calculation steps only increases with the square root of the number of data points. Instead of a billion data entries taking a thousand times as long as a million, with a quantum computer and the “Grove algorithm” this would only take a little over 30 times as long – a breathtaking improvement in the case of very large numbers.
5. Finding new chemical compounds : Complex optimization problems also arise again and again when simulating quantum systems. The aim is to find the best possible configuration from many alternatives, i.e. the most energetically favorable configuration of the electrons in complex molecules or atomic groups. Theoretical physicists and chemists have been grappling with such problems for decades – with limited success. The corresponding quantum equations are simply too difficult for conventional computers to solve. Quantum computers, on the other hand, could directly map the behavior of the electrons involved because they themselves behave like a quantum system. With the resulting better understanding of molecules and the details of their chemical reaction dynamics, it would be possible, for example, to simulate complex protein structures, find new medications or optimize the Haber-Bosch process for producing fertilizers.
6. Elucidation of the electronic structure in crystals . This would significantly advance solid state physics and materials research. New findings in these fields would give nanotechnology a tremendous boost. In this way, the behavior of possible new energy storage devices or components of molecular electronics could be precisely calculated virtually overnight, which would enable far more efficient battery technologies. Another extremely relevant application would be the search for new high-temperature superconductors.
Some physicists even believe that they can use a quantum computer to calculate all problems in nature – from the behavior of black holes, the development of the very early universe, the collisions of high-energy elementary particles to the phenomenon of superconductivity and the modeling of hundreds of billions of neurons and with them once a thousand times larger number of their connections (synapses) in our brain. However, all of this is purely theoretical in nature as there is no functioning universal quantum computer (yet).
Read the final episode: How quantum computers should work – Delaying the pace of qubit decay as much as possible – The tech companies and the rise of China
Brave search
New search engine as public beta
(Heise Online) As Heise Online announces, there is a new search engine with Brave Search. It is now available as a public beta – without tracking and advertising, based on its own index. There should be neither personal nor search-related tracking. Brave Search runs on mobile and desktop as a web version. You can search for images, messages and videos.
“We deliver results based on our custom-built index,” says Brave. Search results are not subject to any bias and no algorithms intervene. Anonymous contributions and alternative rankings, however, determined the results. In the FAQ section, Brave also admits that some of the results are currently being obtained from other search engines – but this part should disappear as soon as possible.
InetBib
Instead of “Librarian Day”
“We are and can be diverse”
Hello * ”
The 109th Librarian Day was attended by library people from a wide variety of professional backgrounds. Contrary to the title of the event, our professional field does not only consist of librarians. “Continuing to call this major conference “Librarian’s Day” in 2021 is no longer appropriate.”
It’s time to bring the grassroots movements together. It’s time to use the momentum of the discussion and I think a petition is a good way to get an opinion.
Please sign: https://openpetition.de/!rjbtt
“We are and can be diverse. Let’s prove it together!”
Thank you for yours and your vote!
Kind regards, Michael Schaarwächter, moderator of InetBib
International News
Wiley Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2021 Results
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended April 30, 2021. Fourth quarter 2021 summary – GAAP results: Revenue of $536 million, Operating Income of $51 million, and EPS of $0.73. Fiscal year 2021 summary – GAAP results: Revenue of $1,942 million, Operating Income of $186 million, EPS of $2.63, and Cash Flow from Operations of $360 million.
Gale Unveil’s New Archive on Far-Right Groups in America
Gale has released the second installment of his Political Extremism and Radicalism series. Political Extremism and Radicalism: Far-Right Groups in America examines the history of radical right movements in the US from 1850-2010s. Available on the Gale Primary Sources platform.
Dow Jones – A Note From Matt Murray: New Initiatives
Dow Jones: We’re launching a new coverage area called Life & Work. Life & Work will be a way of widening our lens of business, markets and economics and serving decision-makers. We are creating a Speed & Trending desk that will be responsible for writing and publishing the first take on many breaking stories, raising both our metabolism and our volume on breaking news.
New Future Ready Lawyer Survey from Wolters Kluwer Finds Trends and Technology Accelerating as Legal Sector Moves Beyond the Pandemic
The global pandemic has accelerated the ongoing transformation of the legal profession, with trends and priorities gaining new ground across the board over the past year, according to the findings of a new report from Wolters Kluwer – the 2021 Future Ready Lawyer: Moving Beyond the Pandemic .
Google to Change Global Advertising Practices in Landmark Antitrust Deal
Google said it would make changes to its global advertising business to ensure it did not abuse its dominance, bowing to antitrust pressure for the first time in a landmark settlement with French authorities. The deal with the French competition watchdog could help rebalance the power over advertising in favor of publishers.
Reed Exhibitions Unveils New Brand Identity and Positioning
Reed Exhibitions announced its evolution to RX, with a refreshed visual identity and updated brand positioning. Building on its flagship events business, the company is leveraging its capabilities in data and technology to create all year-round communities that support businesses and help their customers to grow.
TeamViewer and SAP Partner to Drive Innovation and Digital Transformation in Industrial Environments
TeamViewer announced a new partnership with SAP. The companies are joining forces to drive the digital transformation of workplaces and processes in industrial environments. The partnership will help to better address the fast growing need of customers for enhanced, outcome-based services.
Bureau van Dijk Enhances Credit Catalyst Solution to Help Companies Assess, Onboard, and Monitor Counterparties More Effectively
Bureau van Dijk has enhanced its Credit Catalyst platform to help organizations quickly assess and onboard new counterparties, monitor them for risk factors, and automate credit decision workflows to facilitate a more efficient credit risk management process.
Source: Outsell
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