8/15    Breakthrough in quantum computers!
        http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000815/n15481726.html
        \_ Fixed the link.
        \_ So it can solve a particular problem in one step instead of four.
           Isn't that the result of a change in algorithm instead of a change
           in the underlying electronics?  How does switching to using atoms to
           implement the logic make it possible?
           \_ No, it is a change in the underlying electronics.  Quantum
              algorithms can't be done on non-quantum computers.  - mikeym
           \_ The fact that they successfully demoed this essentially confirms
              that it is indeed physically plausible to implement the Quantum
              Fourier Transform, which is at the heart of, among other things,
              Shor's poly-time quantum integer factoring algorithm. Presumably
              what poly-time factoring will do to computing needn't be
              explained. Here's some reading for details:
              http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~vazirani/qc.html
              http://xxx.lanl.gov/ps/quant-ph/9809016
                -alexf
                \_ dude, I work in the industry, I don't understand this
                   crap. Should I go back to school?
                   \_ if you wanna work for peanuts as an academia phreak, YES
                   \_ if you want to understand it and/or contribute to it,
                      YES. if you don't, don't bother. it's rather unlikely
                      that there'll be practical industry demand for quantum
                      coders before you retire (or at least are too old to
                      pick up an entirely new paradigm).
                      \_ just wait for phillip's QC API --oj
                      \_ Too old?  Like, his brain would seize up and he'd be
                         incapable of learning something new?  All his bits
                         are in use?  Unlikely.
                         \_ When you're 60, you will, in all likelihood, not be
                            to willing to learn a whole new world from scratch
              \_ http://www.sciam.com/1998/0698issue/0698gershenfeld.html
                   This is a Sci Am article on the topic.  For people who
                   haven't had Quantum Electro Dynamics in college (which is
                   like 99.999% of the world.  :-)
                 \_ See second link above (LANL); it's perfectly accessible
                    for anyone smart enough to log in to soda and read the motd
                    (ie not that smart).
                    \_ hey1! :-(