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Nobel Prize for Physics and...
  • brianlucebrianluce

    we're one step closer to Skynet.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49339942/ns/technology_and_science-science/#__utma=14933801.1349081064.1347555318.1349774623.1349783631.171&__utmb=14933801.1.10.1349783631&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1349750738.165.13.utmcsr=msn.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=174832034

    STOCKHOLM — A French-American duo shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for inventing methods to observe the bizarre properties of the quantum world — research that has led to the construction of extremely precise clocks and helped scientists take the first steps toward building superfast computers. Serge Haroche of France and American David Wineland opened the door to new experiments in quantum physics by showing how to observe individual quantum particles without destroying them.

    College de France / NIST Frenchman Serge Haroche, left, and American David Wineland share the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics for their work in quantum optics. That was previously thought impossible because single quantum particles lose their mysterious quantum properties when they interact with the outside world, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. A quantum particle is one that is isolated from everything else. In this situation, an atom or electron or photon takes on strange properties. It can be in two places at once, for example. It behaves in some ways like a wave. But these properties are instantly changed when it interacts with something else, such as when somebody observes it. Working separately, the two scientists, both 68, developed "ingenious laboratory methods" that allowed them to manage and measure and control fragile quantum states, the academy said. "Their ground-breaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of superfast computer based on quantum physics," the academy said. "The research has also led to the construction of extremely

  • 24 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Quantum computers is one of the biggest stupid ideas I know.

  • cupanudlescupanudles

    Why is that Vitaliy?

  • karlkarl

    While I would not call quantum computers a stupid idea, I am pretty convinced that we won't see any of them performing useful things (as in: "as good as or better than ordinary computers") during our lifetime.

    I think that quantum computers will have similar strenghts and suffer from the same shortcomings as analog computers, which also produced results by measuring observables of a physical system that was previously prepared to represent a certain numeric problem. The biggest problem will be to prepare results of significant size/accuracy, as measurement will become exponentially more difficult with the result size.

    Electric analog computers of past decades at their time outperformed digital computers with certain calculations (like numerically solving integrals), and maybe quantum computers will be good for one or the other kind of calculation, too. But will they ever outperform digital computers now that those are already pretty powerful? I doubt that. As much as I doubt the often metaphysical sounding descriptions of how quantum computers could solve "everything at an instant".

  • brianlucebrianluce

    Looks like the people who give out Nobel Prizes don't think it's such a stupid idea.

  • karlkarl

    It was also a Nobel prize committee that thought awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Obama was a good idea. Yet many people still wonder what exactly for ;-)

    (But to be fair: This years winners of the Physics Nobel prize certainly achieved a lot even if that should not lead to a useful quantum computer.)

  • NickBenNickBen

    What is funny is Apple went from $90/share to become the highest value company in 3 years with Obama in charge, letting Apple use Chinese slave labor in work camps while publicly worshipping Jobs... So much for supporting human rights ...

    I guess we Americans still have Bill Clinton who through his foundation has found new ways of inventing excuses to spend as much time away from Hillary as humanly possible

    That's Nobel worthy... Right?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    letting Apple use Chinese slave labor in work camps

    Problem for people is that they fail to understand any reality that is different to their neighborhood. For people who work in this manufacturing jobs it is very big chance. For you it is "slave labour".

  • NickBenNickBen

    I know for them it is an opportunity to not be hungry.

    in the US, it would be illegal to pay people those wages. They work for the price of electricity in the US- so effectively they are human robots at those wages

    I am a fan of building products where people buy them

    Apple should give them at least US standard of pay and 40 hr work week, but they won't because they don't care about quality of life abroad

    I call those jobs better than Japanese nuclear reactor cleanup crew, but not by much

    Both are hazardous to your health long-term, and the death toll rises while Apple profits handsomely

  • brianlucebrianluce

    Problem for people is that they fail to understand any reality that is different to their neighborhood. For people who work in this manufacturing jobs it is very big chance. For you it is "slave labour".

    That's also an oversimplification. If it was as you say, there wouldn't be rioting in those giant labor camps.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    If it was as you say, there wouldn't be rioting in those giant labor camps.

    Hmm, how about to check US history, for example, and check how it was on big factories.

    People are not really happy at this places around the world, but it is big chance for them.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    in the US, it would be illegal to pay people those wages. They work for the price of electricity in the US- so effectively they are human robots at those wages
    Apple should give them at least US standard of pay and 40 hr work week, but they won't because they don't care about quality of life abroad

    It is funny. Open reports and charts I posted, and look how US is different. If someone will make your proposal the world will just either collapse or face huge inflation, as you don't have resources to supply all this "US standard of living" to other countries.

  • sam_sticklandsam_stickland

    Problem for people is that they fail to understand any reality that is different to their neighborhood. For people who work in this manufacturing jobs it is very big chance. For you it is "slave labour".

    It would be an even bigger opportunity if they paid them more ;)

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    It would be an even bigger opportunity if they paid them more

    Yep, but sadly local managers can't do it even if they wanted, as all main details is strictly detailed by US corporation. If you need to supply one item for $1, no way you can pay for work $2.

    It is very interesting to note that mass media tend to ignore that absoltutely same practice had been used by corporations for long long time in other countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

  • brianlucebrianluce

    It is very interesting to note that mass media tend to ignore that absoltutely same practice had been used by corporations for long long time in other countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

    Not at all. Complete falsehood. At least with regard to the American mass media -- it has covered it extensively for decades.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    At least with regard to the American mass media -- it has covered it extensively for decades.

    It seems like you have some build in mind filters that see only thing you like to see :-)

  • svartsvart

    Yes! People in the USA do have mind filter. Record levels of poverty and joblessness both in amount and in time and yet the Iphone5 still sells at an all-time high rate.. People aren't interested in fixing the real problems, they are interested in gadgets that will take their mind off the problem for a little while. Lazy.

  • MihuelMihuel

    And this is post about a Nobel prize?

  • brianlucebrianluce

    It seems like you have some build in mind filters that see only thing you like to see :-)

    Perhaps that whole Michael Jordan/Nike manufacturing controversy was a mere hallucination I had 15 years ago. Perhaps...

  • brianlucebrianluce

    And this is post about a Nobel prize?

    A couple of Americans just pulled down the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Amazing how this "Lazy" country that only care about iPhones keeps making all the important science discoveries. What's wrong with this picture?

  • zcreamzcream

    I second that @brianluce . Having studied in India, the US and in Australia, I do think the american higher education system and the business environment for entrepreneurs used to be the finest on the planet. I say used, because I have heard that the regulatory environment is very repressive now.

    Even today, the US research environment is still better than Europe due to relatively less taxes/regulation.

    The practice of dividing learning into small chunks with pop quizzes, is IMO far superior to the western method of a big exam at the end of the semester.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Even today, the US research environment is still better than Europe due to relatively less taxes/regulation.

    Just go and read resources, energy, salaries (for science) and other reports, after this it is quite strange to ask what will be better staffed and will have better equipment.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Btw, your beloved Nobel guys also provided peace prize to EU (for efforts in bombing Libya). I think next in line is Hitler :-)

  • igorek7igorek7

    The idea of giving award prize for the personal achievements is nice, however the Nobel prize by design is limited to a certain number of people that can be awarded. However, nowadays most of scientific achievements is a result of collective works of many people.

    There is the story told by the Korolev's daughter (Sergei Korolev was the lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer) about two failed attempts by the Nobel committee to award prize to an engineer who was in charge of the first artificial Earth satellite, sputnik, and the first manned space flight by Gagarin. They didn't know the name of the person(s) who developed the Soviet space program, and the political leader Khrushchev, when inquired, refused to give the names arguing that many Soviet people were working on the project and all of them have to be awarded the prize.

    Anyhow, talking about the Nobel prize. There is a remarkable study published in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding "Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates" ;-) http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMon1211064

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Topic closed, as I am absolutely not interested in hearing again propagandists lies about Sirya.

This topic is closed.
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