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The Altcoin Rises

O n May 11 2020, the crypto world experienced the phenomena knows as Bitcoin halving . For those who are still a little looney-toons regarding this phenomena, here's the lowdown . Moral of the story is that, as the Bitcoin supply decreased and it's 21 million market cap slowly approached, it was widely accepted that the low supply and high demand will increase the price of the cryptocurrency back to its previous highs. Basic business right? Wrong! Source: Equity Trust Company BTC prices actually fell and after briefly holding steady, are only just rising above the 10000 USD range. Surprise eh? Well, we are not done yet. Because while the most valuable crypto coin wasn't showing it's expected gains, some other cryptocurrencies shot to outer space. There was no SpaceX rocket nor a Tesla Roadster involved. These "altcoins" bumped up in their market value thanks to the entire underlying system of cryptocurrency: investor speculation.  But what exactly are these ...

Quantum Computing Could Be The Next Big Cambrian Explosion

The Cambrian explosion was one of the most significant milestones for early man. Aside from peanut butter, sliced bread, or the warmth of a fire on a cold night ( I mean there were no fluffy pyjamas back in the days), us Earth beings have never ( probably ) experienced such a gargantuan increase in intelligence or complexity. The world went from unicellular organisms to multicellular species in one giant boom some 540 million years ago. An exciting theory called quantum evolution could be the key to understanding it.


Image result for cambrian explosion

Yes nowadays adding quantum to almost any word gives an entirely different meaning to that particular word. Take a shower for example. Normal showering would mean getting inside the bathroom and washing your body with an amalgamation of water and soap. But for all, you know quantum showering could be like the Schrodinger's cat experiment. You are both washing and not washing your body at the same time. Wonderful.

They say history repeats itself. And in the techno world, the idea of quantum computers could be just that. Back in the days when everything was black and white ( at least in the movies), ripped jeans weren't a fashion trend and the Kardashians were never that famous 
( or infamous) we had built the first proper computers. Gargantuan monoliths running calculations at slowish speeds, needing so much power to run it that it took up entire buildings, they were seen as the next big thing. Since then we have downsized quite radically, so much so that gadgets on our wrists, in our pockets and even in our ears have exponentially more processing power for a relative fraction of the millions spent on first-gen machines. But despite our human triumphs we have failed ( because it is bordering on impossible) to make a quantum computer. Experts say that if a practical model was ever built it could be like the ENIAC. Burly, cumbersome but a revolution nonetheless.

We can build superfast computers but why does this quantum mechanism elude us?

I'm no expert on anything quantum. For all, I know this entire article could be nonsense if you are an established researcher in the field of quantum mechanics. But at the end of the day, it is a topic which interests me and for that, I'm willing to risk it. So let's try and explain how these machines theoretically work.

You see, although a normal computer is full of electronic wizardry most of us can't cope with, at the basest sense all the data that flows through its silicon brain is in a series of bits. '1' 's and '0''s. Think of it like a switch constantly moving between its 'off' and 'on' position. However quantum computers are inherently more complicated (Duh). Instead of using the standard 'bits' it uses 'qubits'. Qubits can be a 0 or a 1 but more importantly, it could be a 0 and 1 at the same time. Taking the aforementioned switch theory is a great example. We can all turn a switch off and on but I suspect many of us had tried to get that elusive position where the switch is right in between its two extremes. And bingo! 


Image result for qubits quantum computing

The switch theory is even more impressive as it inherently explains the difficulty behind the building process of such computational magic. Being very honest not many of us have succeeded in accurately placing a switch in that sweet spot ( between its traditional off and on positions), and even if it happens after intensive praying to the 'God of Friction and Lever Management' it stays in that position for a very short ( like the amount of time it takes for a hungry child to gobble ice-cream) time. Or even leads to the switch breaking. Or you electrocuting yourself. In short, its arduous and success is measured on a tight scale. But then again it's all in the name of science.


Image result for quantum computers ibm

And we are talking about just one 'qubit' here As fast as qubits could be in calculating how you would share ( unequally of course) a Cadbury bar between you and your annoying sibling for a supercar-esque performance we would need at least, let's say 10 qubits. It's very tough comparing qubits and bits in terms of processing speed but its power is nonetheless summed by this quote on the MIT technology review website.


" It’s annoyingly hard to compare quantum and classical computers, but roughly speaking, a quantum computer with just a few hundred qubits would be able to perform more calculations simultaneously than there are atoms in the known universe. "



Known atoms in the universe: between 1078 to 1082  


If that isn't a sucker punch to traditional computing I don't know what is. Its difficult to obtain such levels of computing( considering most exercises involve only 30 or so qubits but Google is the frontrunner with its system using a mammoth 72 qubits ) but with the amount of attention as well as research in this wild field, there is bound to be a breakthrough. 

What's the use of making one?

An s**t ton of uses that is. With complex brains and even Artificial Intelligence, a quantum computer could help us intimately understand the intricacies of nature and perhaps the entire universe. It could help us simulate literally everything, from a KitKat bar to the Big Bang. Medicine would be one of the greatest beneficiaries of this venture. Think cures for diseases beyond the scope of the current state of mankind. Think economies with little to no inequality. Think simulations of world populations, food supply to any water present on Mars. With such an advantage the world would be better than ever. Of course, this a perfect world we speak of here, where Trade Wars don't happen over tea and biscuits, or Presidents or Prime Ministers don't ache for war or where human rights are well-practised. But it will be something. All it is not run by some Harry Potter-esque magic and definitely wouldn't be able to solve every problem be it mathematical or literal it is a step in the right direction. Everything around us is inherently quantum. So the ability to know and manipulate it ( for the good of mankind) is surely worth searching for, no?


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