by Alex Mansfield, the BBC Radio Science Unit
A $15m computer that uses “quantum physics” effects to boost its speed is to be installed at a Nasa facility. It will be shared by Google, Nasa, and other scientists, providing access to a machine said to be up to 3,600 times faster than conventional computers. Unlike standard machines, the D-Wave Two processor appears to make use of an effect called quantum tunnelling. This allows it to reach solutions to certain types of mathematical problems in fractions of a second. Effectively, it can try all possible solutions at the same time and then select the best.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22554494#
Share on Facebook