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A home without a wall, |
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| Geek Stuff |
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Need a geek |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
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Must be able to translate geek-type conceptual idea into very basic english language without making me feel totally stupid. The ability to use analogies is like, a major plus. I need a translator so I can know what the heck this article is talking about: http://www.physorg.com/news199706384.html If you decide to take on this assignment, and you feel compelled to also tell me why I'm intrigued with it, go for that too.  HOW WOULD THIS WORK??? |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
I could take a rough guess, but you’d need to narrow your question Karen, otherwise the answer will need to be book length – and I’m talking a twelve volume version of war and peace. The article describes a possible method for creating a qubit – the base component of a quantum computer. The qubit replaces the bit in a standard computer, the difference is that a bit is a binary two state gate (0 or 1)and the qubit has multiple possible states. What the heck does that mean? Well in a standard computer eight bits are strung together to make a byte, the various possible combinations of 0’s and 1’s in a byte allows you to represent 256 unique numbers. If you assign a character to each of those combinations, you can represent every letter and number in the English language with 220 or so left over. 00000001 could be B 00000010 could be A 00000100 could be D To write the word BAD in a binary system would require 24 bits of information. 000000010000001000000100 Let’s exaggerate, lets say it takes a standard computer a second to read each bit – that’s 24 seconds. That’s where the qubit comes in handy, it isn’t restricted to two states, it can have numerous states – absolutely massive numbers of states. Think three dimensional as opposed to two-dimensional – the possible states represented by two qubits alone could represent the number of atoms in the universe. One qubit could represent the full text of war and peace in one second – even a twelve volume extended version – with pictures and audio and still have room to spare. That's just a guess though - I could be wrong. . |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Oh. Of course. I knew that.  I was just testing you. *laughing* One more question, though--this qubit thingie? Is that word acceptable for a scrabble play? Just so I can hear what the um, "heck" does that mean? while I score on someone else's itty "bit"...  omg, what do you people EAT? Thank you, Grinch. Um. I think. (not quite on your level, but I do think. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I just read that again. And again. Still don't know what the heck it means, but I do have a bit of fear regarding the implications. or a qubit of fear, even.  |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
quote: I just read my post over a few times too and was worried that you might say that. Let’s try sticking to the difference between a bit and a qubit. Remember those old westerns where the guy in the telegraph office tapped out a message using morse code? Each series of dots and dashes represented a leter, right? Now suppose each series of dots and dashes represented a word, how much quicker would sending a message be if that were true? Of course if that were true the messages you could send would be pretty restricted because the number of words you could send is restricted by the available patterns of dots and dashes. You could extend the number of possible messages by making each series of dots and dashes equal a whole message instead of a word, but you’d still be restricted by the number of combinations available. It turns out that the best way to maximise the possible messages you can send is to have each series of dots and dashes represent a letter. That’s basically how bytes work, 8 bits either zero or one (a dot or a dash in telegraph terms)that can represent a maximum of 256 characters. Enter the qubit. Instead of being a dot or a dash a qubit can be a whole slew of variants between a dot and a dash, in telegraph terms it’d be like having the ability to have multiple types of dots and dashes, maybe a difference in pitch perhaps. Increasing the possible combinations opens up the possibility of representing words, given enough combinations you could even cover almost every possible message with a short combination of dots and dashes at various pitches. The more combinations you have the less dots and dashes you need and the quicker the message can be sent. Qubits allow more combinations so qubits are better than bits. So what does a bit and a qubit look like? A bit is the equivalent of a coin, it’s either heads or tails. A qubit is the equivalent of a sphere with the heads and tails of the coin printed on the surface. Flip a coin and the chances are that taking a photograph from directly above will show a circle with either the image of the head or the tail side. Flip a sphere and take a photo from above and it’ll be a circle with an image of the head or tail, or some of the head and a portion of tail, or half heads and half tails, or a quarter heads and three quarter tails, the tails part could be at the top of the circle, or the bottom, or on the left or the right, slightly up from the middle, the head could be upside down or on a three quarter twist… You get the idea – the combinations are astronomical Back to the article: They’ve taken an atom and paired it with a photon, the photon and atom will orbit in a circular pattern, take a photo from the top and you’re get a circle with the photon at the top, or at the bottom, or directly behind the atom or.. You get the idea – it’s a qubit. . |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Hmm. Okay. Now we're talkin'. Maybe. But because the Morse code wasn't working for me, I dismissed your analogy and replaced it with my own--Gregg shorthand--I was very very good at that stuff, and I like being not just good at stuff, but really GREAT at stuff--sooooo, after I'd achieved the minimum requirement of 110, I got creative so I could find my personal best, and yes (I get your analogy this way) I discovered that I could greatly increase my speed by utilizing my own brief forms for words and phrases that I knew were logically sequentially in most rather predictable business correspondence. So there's ONE lightbulb for ya. The best brief form I created was a standard only understood by myself---which would be the name of the company being addressed in each dictation. It didn't matter that the next letter might be to a differently named place of business, the brief form I used was always the same, but of course, when I transcribed the stuff, I would naturally fil in the blank with the correct correspondant. So, I'm thinking that the qubit is quite like my personal brief form, er...maybe? One mark, for multi-purposes? Don't tell me I'm getting warm, though, not in this weather. Just smile and say yay or nay. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Oh my...am I wayyyyyyyyyy off? |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
Yay! . |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I'm still not sure what such a computer might be capable of, though.But I'm not sure anybody does--but just now, the story of Frankenstein popped into my head... Pandora here, just wants to dust around that box.  |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/quantum-computing-for-everyone/ . |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
<font face="Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana" color="#000080" size="3">Yep, Qubits is a word you can use in Scrabble. Glad I am so helpful.  </font> |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Thanks Grinch!  (I'd actually read the Feynman stuff prior---wish I still had it but I gave it to a promising young man as a graduation present)I've been meaning to buy a replacement. AND, I did indeed subscribe to the guy's newsletter. *smile* And Kari? What in the sam hell are you doing rolling on the floor at this time of day, eh? <--First, we BOUNCE. No rolling until after five. *grin* |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
But it's 5 o'clock somewhere!  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Y'talked me into it. We should name a shot after Grinch... Hmmmm. It should be green. Absynthe and...? |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
..Guinness.  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Lawsy...talk about a boiler maker.  |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Make it a broiler and we'll add some eastern Lobster. It all sounds good to me. I'll bring the Scrabble board! Someone else can bring the ice and qubits. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I'm guarding my ice. BYOI. The lobster sounds great though. Just have it air-dropped onto the trampoline--and I'll check it in 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure it will be done by then. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
LOL...hot down there too, is it? I think we're at 109. After 100...it's all about the same. Only the desert will fool you. I remember once visiting and it was 120 - didn't feel hot until you touched your own skin... it's that dry heat that'll fool ya! |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
It's countdown month. I'm in low energy mode on high alert. And ya'll can assume anything ya'll want by that. Two weeks ago, my sunburn was so major I was laying here in front of a window unit wearing nothing but a wet towel. But now I know how to get all the teenagers out of my house. *laughing* Too hot to drink, though I don't mind if you do. I'm having some sweet ass tea. *grin* |
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