Quantum Supremacy
How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything
1 of 1 copy available
"[Kaku's] lucid prose and thought process make abundant sense of this technological turning point.” —The New York Times Book Review
The runaway success of the microchip may finally be reaching its end. As shrinking transistors approach the size of atoms, the phenomenal growth of computational power inevitably collapses. But this change heralds the birth of a revolutionary new type of computer, one that calculates on atoms themselves.
Quantum computers promise unprecedented gains in computing power, enabling advancements that could overturn every aspect of our daily lives. While the media has mainly focused on their startling potential to crack any known encryption method, the race is already on to exploit their incredible power to revolutionize industry. Automotive makers, medical researchers, and consulting firms are all betting on quantum computing to design more efficient vehicles, create life-saving new drugs, and streamline businesses. But this is only the beginning. Quantum computing could be used to decode the complex chemical processes needed to produce cheap fertilizers and unleash a second Green Revolution; create a super battery that will enable the Solar Age; or design nuclear fusion reactors to generate clean, safe, renewable energy. It may even unravel the fiendishly difficult protein folding that lies at the heart of as-yet-incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s. Already, quantum computers are being put to work to help solve the greatest mystery in science—the origin of the universe.
There is no single problem humanity faces that might not be addressed by quantum computers. With his signature clarity and enthusiasm, Dr. Michio Kaku, who has spent his entire professional life working on the quantum theory, tells the thrilling story of this exciting scientific frontier and the race to claim humanity’s future.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 2, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593740644
- File size: 307968 KB
- Duration: 10:41:35
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 6, 2023
In this disappointing outing, theoretical physicist Kaku (The God Equation) argues that quantum computers (machines that compute on atoms rather than transistors) will transform the modern world. Quantum computers, he explains, are “100 trillion times faster than an ordinary supercomputer” because rather than relying on binary code, they process data based on the infinite ways that an atom’s spin can occur in relation to a magnetic field, making them capable of complex computations that remain out of reach for digital computers. Despite Kaku’s best efforts, readers will likely be left scratching their heads at the descriptions of how different models of quantum computing work, with one that involves “ion traps” in which atoms spin upward or downward and another that takes advantage of the polarization of light. Kaku’s speculation on how quantum computing will help combat climate change, currently incurable diseases, the energy crisis, and world hunger doesn’t say much about the technology; instead, he details the challenges each presents and concludes with the jejune conjecture that increased computing power might solve them. Difficult to grasp and carrying a whiff of ungrounded techno-utopianism, this is a rare misfire for Kaku. -
Feodor Chin's narration of this audiobook about the future of quantum computing is as enthusiastic as the author's predictions. Digital computers calculate with binary bits that represent "0" or "1," but quantum computers calculate at the atomic level by measuring the position of atoms to provide significantly faster processing time. This property allows quantum computers to process the huge amounts of data that will be necessary to find solutions to humanity's greatest problems, including climate change, feeding the world, and curing now incurable diseases. Chin's deep voice reflects his full engagement with the material he delivers. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
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