The Quantum Leap: Understanding Computing's Next Frontier
- Ronald Mitchell
- Jan 6
- 3 min read
I have been reading about quantum mechanics for 20 years. I was intrigued by the science, which quite frankly made no sense to me. How could something be both a 1 and a 0 at the same time? It made for good science fiction with absolutely zero practical application...until last month.
On December 9, 2024, Google announced Willow. Willow is a quantum chip. Think of it as a GPU for quantum computing. What Willow did was truly mind numbing. It was able to compute in five minutes what would take today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years!! I did not know there was a number called a "septillion". But to give you some context, 10 septillion years exceeds the age of the universe. Welcome to the Quantum Era.
As I donned my AI Symplified hat, I felt a responsibility to try to demystify this new age of computing for business leaders. But where to start? Quantum computing often feels incomprehensible, filled with words like superposition and entanglement that we only hear in Marvel movies. Yet these ideas are fundamentally reshaping the capabilities of modern computing. To make these concepts approachable for business leaders, I found that connecting them to everyday experiences bridges the gap between the abstract and the familiar.
The Observer Effect: Changing Reality Through Observation
One of the most fascinating foundational concepts in quantum physics, the science behind quantum computing, is the Observer Effect. The Observer Effect demonstrates that simply observing something can change its physical form. What?!?!?!? In a very famous experiment, called the "double-slit experiment", particles like photons or electrons were shown to behave differently depending on whether they are observed. When unobserved, particles act like waves, spreading out across space as they pass through the slits. But when observed, they change completely and behave like discrete particles.
Follow this link for more about the Double-Slit Experiment:
The implication is profound: observation changes reality. Particles exist in multiple possibilities, deciding on a single state only when observed. As mind-bending as this sounds, I found that it mirrors a deeply human experience.
The Human Observer Effect: Shaping Ourselves Through Observation
While quantum particles shifting states might seem incomprehensible, we experience a version of this daily. Think about how people behave when they know they’re being observed. Around parents, we might act more polite. In a job interview, we project confidence. With friends, we might conform to group norms. In each of these moments, we are the same person, but our behavior changes based on who is observing us.
Like quantum particles, people change their “state” depending on the observer. We don’t call this science; we call it adaptability. Just as particles respond to their environment, humans respond to theirs, creating different versions of themselves depending on who is observing: partner, parent, coworker, or friend. By applying this metaphor, hopefully it makes quantum mechanics easier to grasp.
Connecting Quantum Physics to Quantum Computing
Now that we’ve made quantum mechanics more relatable, let’s explore how it powers quantum computing. Unlike classical computers, which use bits to process information as either 0s or 1s, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in superposition—both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This ability allows quantum computers to perform multiple calculations at the same time, dramatically increasing processing speed. Additionally, qubits leverage entanglement, enabling instant data correlation across vast systems, further boosting efficiency and problem-solving power. This enables quantum computers to process vast amounts of information at once, making them exponentially more powerful for tasks like optimizing supply chains, accelerating drug discovery, and breaking encryption.
A Quantum Future Awaits
Quantum computing may seem like a leap into the unknown, but its principles are rooted in forces that shape our daily lives. The observer effect shows that observation—whether of a particle or a person—has the power to shape outcomes. As we enter the quantum era, let’s approach it not with fear but with an understanding that this technology reflects our own human experiences and has the potential to change the world of computing forever.
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