Sherry Mayo writes
Detractors of the proposed technique say problems of noise and sensitivity to mechanical defects are insurmountable and the technique could never work.
I was wondering if anyone here has any comment. After reading the New Scientist
I was wondering if anyone here had any views (informed or otherwise :-)
My ill informed back of the envelope guestimate is that current art is a factor of one hundred from building a proof of principle quantum computer, a factor of one thousand from building a quantum computer that does something interesting, and a factor of ten thousand from building a quantum computer that does something that is actually useful. Art is improving at (very roughly) a factor of two every four years. These estimates may well be rather optimistic, but they are not totally ridiculous. -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of the kind of animals that we James A. Donald are. True law derives from this right, not from the arbitrary power of the omnipotent state. jamesd@netcom.com