Last December, Google made a huge announcement about its quantum computer chip, Willow. It did something amazing: it solved a problem in just 5 minutes that would take the world\u2019s most powerful supercomputer 10 million billion years to solve! While this might sound cool, experts said the problem Willow solved wasn\u2019t something we\u2019d actually use in the real world.<\/p>\n
But now, Willow is back in the spotlight because it solved a much bigger challenge. This time, it calculated the structure of a molecule 13,000 times faster than the best supercomputer out there. This is what\u2019s called \u201cquantum advantage\u201d \u2014 when a quantum computer is faster, cheaper, or more efficient than a regular computer.<\/p>\n
This is a **huge deal** because it means we\u2019re getting closer to having quantum computers that could change the world in big ways. Scientists believe quantum computers could be used to help cure diseases, make better medicines, or even unlock secrets about things like nuclear energy. But there\u2019s also the possibility they could be used to make super-powerful weapons, which could be dangerous.<\/p>\n
Big tech companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft are already working hard on quantum computing. Even the Chinese government has spent $15.2 billion to develop its own quantum computer, which is a bit slower than Google\u2019s Willow but still super powerful.<\/p>\n
For some perspective, the first quantum computer ever built, back in 1998, had only 3 \u201cqubits\u201d (the basic units of quantum information). Today, Willow has 105 qubits \u2014 that\u2019s a **huge** leap! If you doubled the number of qubits as many times as technology has improved, you\u2019d end up with an insane amount of money, like 5,071 billion-billion-billion rupees!<\/p>\n
So, where does India stand in this race? Well, in April, India\u2019s top quantum computer had only 25 qubits. While India is trying to catch up with a National Quantum Mission that hopes to reach 50 qubits in the next 5 years, we\u2019re still a little behind compared to other countries. One reason is that we don\u2019t spend enough money on research and development. Right now, India\u2019s entire budget for R&D is less than 1% of its total economy, and the private sector doesn\u2019t invest enough.<\/p>\n
To stay in the quantum race, India needs to invest more in research, and the private sector needs to pitch in. If India doesn\u2019t act fast, we might get left behind in this important technology.<\/p>\n
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Disclaimer<\/p>\n
Views expressed above are the author’s own.<\/p>\n
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