In a month that saw Marvel’s Ant-Man enter the (fictional) quantum realm, you might have missed out on some top quantum news. Here’s our round-up of everything you need to know.
One Billion Dollars
The White House has earmarked over $1 billion for quantum technology research, although it’s unclear if this will be enough for the U.S. to keep its lead in quantum computing technology. But…
Top Priority?
…Government agencies are struggling with basic cybersecurity, despite President Trump’s executive order over a year ago to prioritize it.
Diamonds Are a Quantum’s Best Friend
A defect-riddled, boron and silicon-laced synthetic diamond can both store quantum information for a long time and transmit it clearly, and could be a key building block in a quantum internet.
Breaking the Vault
Bitcoin is essentially a series of puzzles stored in a public ledger on the blockchain, but the increased computing power offered by quantum could crack these puzzles in the coming decade, making the cryptocurrency extremely vulnerable.
(Ending) The Road to Hell
The potential processing power offered by quantum computing could mean the end of traffic jams. Not only could algorithms redirect cars and buses around traffic jams, they could guide them home on a route that prevents the jam happening in the first place.
Science Fiction Meets Science Fact
Returning to Ant-Man and The Wasp, the film’s scientific adviser explains which parts of the film are rooted in real-life quantum physics.