What Is Quantum Computing?

 

My oh my, what a wonderful Wednesday it is.

 

What's up, sunshine? It is your word Wednesday, so be on the lookout to see if your word, the word you submitted, helped us write Today's Show.

 

I'm Coy Wire, this is CNN 10, and we're going to go big today on the quickly evolving, fascinating, and thought-provoking world of Quantum Computing.

 

Quantum Computing 量子计算

 

This emerging technology is already making waves in industries like healthcare, finance, even the way we fly.

 

Quantum computers have the potential to outperform today's classical computers, solving problems that are currently beyond our reach.

 

Regular computers, like the ones so many of us use every day, work with bits.

 

bit [bɪt]【电脑】位元

 

These are tiny units of information that can either be coded as a zero or a one.

 

Everything we do on a computer, from watching videos to texting, is built on these zeros and ones.

 

But quantum computers work with qubits.

 

qubit [ˈkjubɪt] n. 量子位元; Q位元

 

Unlike regular bits, qubits can be both zero and one, but they can use those numbers at the same time, which lets quantum computers handle tons of data all at once, making them way faster for certain tasks.

 

Quantum Computing is a fairly new idea, started back in the 1980s.

 

There were some realizations that regular computers had limited abilities and were unable to handle certain complicated tasks.

 

realization [͵rɪələˋzeʃən] n. 认识; 真实；现实；体现

 

Quantum computers can do more, and when it comes to solving problems like say cracking a code, they do it much faster than classical computers.

 

Today, we're still figuring out just how powerful quantum computers could become, but it's believed they could become so powerful they might one day be able to cure diseases.

 

They also could change how we search for information and how we tackle complex problems we never even knew were possible.

 

But the path to this revolutionary future is not without its challenges.

 

Our Anna Stewart is exploring how Quantum Computing Works, what makes it so different, and why it's increasingly generating more hype and curiosity.

 

hype [haɪp] n. 大肆宣传；天花乱坠的公开宣传

 

Dubai is home to about 13,000 restaurants, but I failed at scratching the culinary surface.

 

I have been to Dubai between 10 and 15 times.

 

We're always filming, we're always busy.

 

I go to the same restaurants every time, so I've probably been to the same five restaurants a load of different times.

 

This time I'm here to decode Quantum Computing, and I've realized it's time to finally try a new spot.

 

Oh wow, that looks good.

 

And here we have our marinated cucumber and garlic.

 

marinate [ˋmærə͵net] v. 把……浸泡在滷汁中；醃泡

 

At the rate I've been going, I can't even imagine how long it would take me to hit all the restaurants in Dubai.

 

Is this it? They still have some more.

 

Oh, OK. Thank you very much.

 

But rather than map out my own route next time, I wonder if quantum Computing might one day do it for me.

 

map out 安排

 

My eyes are bigger than my stomach. Ooh, that looks good.

 

Quantum computers are radically different from the laptops we know and love.

 

Just look at them. How on Earth can you see what you're typing or even type at all?

 

These computers look totally different because they work in totally different ways.

 

Our computers process information in the form of bits, which can either be one or zero.

 

Quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits, which can embody zero and one to varying degrees at the same time.

 

embody [ɪmˋbɑdɪ] v. 包含，收录

 

Think of it like flipping a coin.

 

Classical bits are the flipped coin, heads or tails.

 

Qubits are the coin as it's flipping, which has a probability of being heads or tails.

 

It's a lot to wrap your head around.

 

wrap one’s head around 理解

 

Should I feel stupid that I am really struggling with this one?

 

Uh, you should not because Einstein, for example, really didn't accept quantum mechanics.

 

He didn't? No, I'm in good company then.

 

(be) in good company（有同样问题的）大有人在

 

Well, yeah, exactly. He was sort of saying, is this really? is this nature? or are we just inventing some weird force to account for this?

 

I'm starting my journey at the Computer History Museum.

 

Hopefully, exploring these machines will give me a better understanding of how Quantum fits into the bigger Computing picture.

 

Well, Computing begins deep in the darkest mists of time, probably 5 to 10,000 years ago in ancient Sumeria, where people devised a system based on tablets using Stone.

 

Sumeria [suˋmɪrɪən] n. 蘇美人（語）

 

This was adopted basically into what became the Abacus.

 

abacus [ˋæbəkəs] n. 算盘

 

Whether they're built with stones or semiconductors, at the end of the day computers exist to store and process data.

 

Modern computers were first geared towards professionals like the cray-1 supercomputer, which helped with Industries like cryptography and aircraft design.

 

gear [gɪr] v. 使适应，使适合; 使准备好

cryptography [krɪpˋtɑgrəfɪ] n. 密码学；密码使用法；密码方式

 

So this is specifically targeted at floating solving Floating Point equations.

 

floating point【计算机】浮点

 

Soon computers spread to the masses, thanks in part to Apple's first computer, which sold for $666.66.

 

On the basis of this, Steve Jobs went, hey, what if we made a computer that was for the general public rather than for just hobbyists?

 

Because these computers are now so common, it's almost impossible to conceptualize Computing in any other way.

 

If you say Quantum Computing, you're imagining traditional Computing. How do the two you compare?

 

I think they compare because for one thing they're both running software and they both solve problems.

 

They both solve problems. Yes, exactly.

 

You know, for word processing or uh email or social media, none of those are ever going to be run on a quantum computer.

It's not the right problem

 

Because qubits can embody any combination of zeros and ones.

 

When they start interacting with each other, they can create many different patterns, essentially allowing the computer to perform many calculations at the same time.

 

Let's revisit my restaurant quest to explain.

 

There is no one perfect example, but this is I think the best shot that we have to explain it here in Dubai.

 

I want to maximize the number of restaurants I can visit in let's say 6 days.

 

If I ask a classical computer for the most efficient route for 13,000 restaurants, it’ll likely have to start by testing each one, one at a time, a task that gets exponentially harder if I want to only walk or only bike or alternate each time.

 

With Quantum Computing, I can potentially create an algorithm that encodes various Journeys with various parameters together.

 

And using quantum mechanical properties called superposition and entanglement, the quantum computer will help identify the better routes faster than a classical computer ever could.

 

superposition  [͵supɚpəˋzɪʃən] n. (量子)疊加; 態疊加

entanglement [ɪnˋtæŋg!mənt] n. (量子)纠缠; 缠结

 

Now, I don't actually think Quantum Computing will be used for tasks like this, but imagine an airline.

 

It obviously wants to find the most efficient route, which isn't just determined by distance.

 

Weather patterns, aircraft availability, and airport traffic also factor into the equation.

 

Pop Quiz Hot Shot: which body part on a squirrel never stops growing? Tail, teeth, feet, or head?

 

If you said teeth, tooth are correct.

 

Squirrels have four front teeth that grow for their entire lives.

 

They gnaw on things like the roofline of my house to help keep those teeth sharp for chowing down on acorns and things.

 

roofline [ˋruf͵laɪn] n. 屋顶（或车顶等）轮廓线

acorn [ˋekɔrn] n. 橡子，橡实

 

Some animals gnaw, some of them claw.

 

Today's story getting a 10 out of 10: a jaw-dropping claw recently discovered through the indefatigable work of the paleontologist in Mongolia.

 

indefatigable [͵ɪndɪˋfætɪgəb!] adj. 不倦的；不屈不挠的

paleontologist [͵pelɪɑnˋtɑlədʒɪst] n. 古生物学者

 

It's clawful impressive, but wait till you see the thing that they think it belonged to.

 

Our Jeremy Roth has more.

 

Paleontologists have made a fascinating breakthrough in Asia, unearthing the largest fully preserved dinosaur claw of its kind in Mongolia.

 

This unique two-clawed hand experts say belonged to a previously unknown species of dinosaur.

 

They are calling uh this believed to be part of the same Dino family that includes the T-Rex.

 

Some researchers are likening the lengthy claws to tongs used in barbecuing.

 

Others are comparing the new species to Edward's Scissor Hands.

 

I say hey, why can't it be both. Clawsome also Clawsome, all those Eagles, up there at Bath Village School in Bath, New Hampshire for submitting the word indefatigable for your word Wednesday.

 

It's an adjective that means persisting tirelessly, like me when I was trying to pronounce that word. Well done.

 

And now we have some shout outs today.

 

This one goes two Flex Tech High School in Brighton, Michigan. Thanks for the love on our CNN10YouTube channel and keep flexing on them.

 

And two Mr dorsy and my friends at Howard Middle School right here in Atlanta Georgia rise up.

 

Thank you for making us part of your day. Go on out and make it a great one.

 

I'm Coy wire, this is cnn1, and I'll see you to morrow.