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Quantum computing has a hype problem

As a buzzword, quantum computing probably ranks below just AI in terms of hype. Large technology companies now have significant research and development efforts in quantum computing. A number of new ventures have also emerged, some boasting surprising valuations.

A true quantum computer would have applications unimaginable today, such as when the first transistor was made in 1947, no one could have predicted how this would eventually lead to smartphones and laptop computers. But even quantum computing experts are starting to get annoyed by some of the big claims, especially when it comes to claims about how and how quickly they will be commercialized.

The systems we have today are a tremendous scientific achievement, but they don’t get us any closer to a quantum computer that can solve a problem that no one cares about. We don’t know how long this will last, but it’s farther away than the burgeoning industry and its marketers would have you believe.Read the full story.

Sankar Das Sarma is the director of the Condensed Matter Theory Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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I scoured the internet for today’s most entertaining/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Nokia’s technology-enabled digital surveillance in Russia
Equipment and software of the Finnish company were used to monitor opposition supporters. (NYT$)
+ howPutin has become the tyrant today.(NYT$)
+Why is Europe still trying to catch up with Russia’s espionage efforts?(FT$)

2 China’s covid strategy is collapsing
Xi Jinping’s party faces little choice but to abandon hopes of a zero covid policy. (Economist$)
+Shanghai was quarantined as cases rose across China.(Guardian)
+Elsewhere in Asia, covid restrictions are being lifted despite the spread of omicron.(NYT$)

3 Nearly one-third of NFT collections have expired
Insiders insist the bubble hasn’t burst, but interest certainly seems to be cooling. (Bloomberg$)
+Museums make up the majority of NFT, but do buyers want masterpieces?(NYT$)
+It turns out that buying property in the metadata store is as expensive as IRL.(IEEE Spectrum)
+Plain text internet is calling you. (Protocol)

4 Keanu Reeves deleted from the Chinese internet
The Canadian actor (and beloved web figure) attended a pro-Tibetan concert to upset the Chinese authorities. (LA Times)

5 Black Tesla workers allege widespread racist harassment at company’s factories
They report that they have to work under extremely difficult conditions. (LA Times)
+ Screams, threats of lawsuits, and angry emails are just the tip of the iceberg for auto regulators dealing with Elon Musk. (WP$)
+Musk thinks it can “help in conflicts.”(insider)
+Tesla bros are making it hard to report issues with their Full Self-Driving software.(Observer)
+A liner in parallel park.(Speech)

6 News about an investigation into fake news… turned out to be fake
Does anyone else have a headache? (Atlantic Ocean$)
+Scientists use Twitter to monitor if their work has been misunderstood.(science)
+Conservative influencers worry right-wing platforms are echo chambers. (NBC)

7 Maybe we don’t want jetpacks
In fact, it would be complete chaos if there were tons of them flying all over the place. (slate$)

8 Are mental health tech startups making it too easy to take ADHD meds?
The lines between ‘patient’ and ‘customer’ seem rather blurred here. (WSJ$)

9 billion genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in California
A great experiment to control the potential spread of dangerous diseases. (Guardian)

10 Is this the end of the teen house party?
Smart home technology prevents generation Z from letting their hair down. (Information$)

Word of the Day

“What’s the point of doing politics in Russia if you’re not willing to protest the war at such a historic moment?”