Well, I never…!

Google says it has built a computer that is capable of solving problems that classical computers practically cannot. According to the scientific journal Nature, Google’s processor, Sycamore, performed a truly random-number generation in 200 seconds. That same task would take about 10,000 years for a state-of-the-art supercomputer to execute. The achievement marks a major breakthrough in the technology world’s quest to use quantum mechanics to solve computational problems.  In classical computers, bits can store information as either a 0 or a 1 in binary notation. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can be both 0 and 1. According to Google, the Sycamore processor uses 53 qubits, which allows for a drastic increase in speed compared with classical computers. The report acknowledges that the processor’s practical applications are limited. Google says Sycamore can generate truly random numbers without utilizing pseudo-random formulas that classical computers use.