qubits

Breaking encryption using quantum computing could be 20 times easier than previously thought. It's not happening any time soon, but the point where computer security needs an overhaul may be earlier than expected. Most computer encryption today is ... based on creating an encryption key by multiplying two large prime numbers together. The beauty and simplicity is that doing this is very simple, but reversing the process to work out what the two numbers originally were is incredibly complex. While a computer can eventually figure it out, the idea is that it would take so long (potentially years or ... (view more)

Intel and IBM are battling to show off some of the most advanced 'quantum computers' ever made. It's a big step towards incredibly powerful computers that could even replicate the workings of a human brain. A quantum computer takes advantage of one ... of the most curious aspects of physics: that tiny particles can exist in two different states at the same time. This essentially allows a complete rewrite of the mathematics behind computing. Ordinary computers work by turning data into binary code: a string of 0s and 1s. In traditional computers, that involves a series of electronic 'gates' that ... (view more)