September 2021 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Quantum computing hits the desktop, no cryo-cooling required
by coderman 30 Sep '21

30 Sep '21

https://newatlas.com/quantum-computing/quantum-computing-desktop-room-tempe… Quantum computing hits the desktop, no cryo-cooling required By [Loz Blain](https://newatlas.com/author/loz-blain/) September 27, 2021 [Quantum computing on the desktop... And soon even in mobile devices] Quantum computing on the desktop... And soon even in mobile devices Quantum Brilliance View 4 Images An Australian/German company is developing powerful quantum accelerators the size of graphics cards. They work at room temperature, undercutting and outperforming today's huge, cryo-cooled quantum supercomputers, and soon they'll be small enough for mobile devices. Superconducting quantum computers are huge and incredibly finicky machines at this point. They need to be isolated from anything that might knock an electron's spin off and ruin a calculation. That includes mechanical isolation, in extreme vacuum chambers, where only a few molecules might remain in a cubic meter or two of space. It includes electromagnetic forces – IBM, for example, surrounds its precious quantum bits, or qubits, with mu metals to absorb all magnetic fields. And it includes temperature. Any atom with a temperature above absolute zero is by definition in a state of vibration, and any temperature more than 10-15 thousandths of a degree above absolute zero simply shakes the qubits to the poin where they can't maintain "coherence." So most state-of-the-art quantum computers need to be cryogenically cooled using complex and expensive equipment before the qubits will maintain their state for any length of time and become useful. Extreme vacuums, mu metals and microkelvin-temperature cryogenic cooling: this is not a recipe for affordable, portable or easily scalable quantum computing power. But an Australian-born startup says it has developed a quantum microprocessor that needs none of these things. Indeed, it runs happily at room temperature. Right now, it's the size of a rack unit. Soon, it'll be the size of a decent graphics card, and before too long it'll be small enough to fit in mobile devices alongside traditional processors. [IBM's 2017-model, 16-qubit quantum processor, seen here encased in a cryogenic chamber] IBM's 2017-model, 16-qubit quantum processor, seen here encased in a cryogenic chamber IBM Research If this company does what it says it can, you'll be able to integrate the advantages of quantum into computers of just about any size, freeing this powerful new technology from the constraints of supercomputer size and expense. Quantum software and calculations won't need to be done through a fast connection to a mainframe or the cloud, it'll be done on-site where it's needed. Pretty disruptive stuff. Quantum Brilliance was founded in 2019 on the back of research undertaken by its founders at the Australian National University, where they developed techniques to manufacture, scale and control qubits embedded in synthetic diamond. This is complex business, so we'll throw over to the Quantum Brilliance whitepaper for a technical description: "Room-temperature diamond quantum computers consist of an array of processor nodes. Each processor node is comprised of a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center (a defect in the diamond lattice consisting of a substitutional nitrogen atom adjacent to a vacancy) and a cluster of nuclear spins: the intrinsic nitrogen nuclear spin and up to ~4 nearby 13C nuclear spin impurities. The nuclear spins act as the qubits of the computer, whilst the NV centers act as quantum buses that mediate the initialization and readout of the qubits, and intra-and inter-node multi-qubit operations. Quantum computation is controlled via radiofrequency, microwave, optical and magnetic fields." This field itself is not new – indeed, room-temperature quantum qubits have been around experimentally for more than 20 years. Quantum Brilliance's contribution to the field is in working out how to manufacture these tiny things precisely and replicably, as well as in miniaturizing and integrating the control structures you need to get information in and out of the qubits – the two key areas that have held these devices back from scaling beyond a few qubits to date. [A Quantum Accelerator product planned for 2025 will offer ~50 qubits in a unit the size of a graphics card] A Quantum Accelerator product planned for 2025 will offer ~50 qubits in a unit the size of a graphics card Quantum Brilliance "Because diamond is such a rigid material," says QB co-founder and COO Mark Luo over a Zoom call, "it's really able to hold a lot of these properties in place – that allow these quantum phenomena to be more stable compared to other systems out there. Given that rigidity, we can actually leverage off a lot of pre-existing classical control systems." "The fundamental property we're using," says new hire Mark Mattingley-Scott, who will oversee operations for the company in Germany, "is nuclear spin, and not the spin of an electron. An atom cares a lot less about thermal vibrations, for example, than an electron, so this way we can run them at room temperature. In the nitrogen vacancy, there's a hole, and through that we're able to interact with the qubits. There are multiple interactions, so we actually get potentially multiple qubits per vacancy." The company has already built a number of "Quantum development kits" in rack units, each with around 5 qubits to work with, and it's placing them with customers already, for benchmarking, integration, co-design opportunities and to let companies start working out where they'll be advantageous once they hit the market in a ~50-qubit "Quantum Accelerator" product form by around 2025. "We think over a decade," says Luo, "we can even produce a quantum system-on-a-chip for mobile devices. Because this is truly material science technology that can achieve that." "In terms of commercial deployment," says Luo, "we have the Pawsey Supercomupting Center, which is currently the Southern Hemisphere's largest supercomputing center, co-owned by CSIRO and some other universities. We established basically Australia's first supercompuing quantum innovation hub, and we set up a Pawsey Pioneer program where industry and research groups can utilize our quantum operating system. We're deploying the world's first room-temperature diamond quantum computing system at Pawsey in Q1 2022 – we were meant to install it this month, but due to COVID delays we can't actually cross the borders into Western Australia! We're planning to deploy some in Germany as well, which is why we're so lucky to have Mark coming on board to lead our operations in Europe and Germany." How do they perform compared to traditional superconducting quantum computers? Extremely well, says Mattingley-Scott. "There's a figure of merit which you can apply to the ability of individual qubits to be useful, and that's coherence time. Superconducting qubits typically hold their coherence for maybe 100, 150 microseconds. In room temperature diamonds, we're talking about milliseconds. Like, a thousand times longer, and that means you can do a lot more. That's part of the equation; the other part is error rates. Qubits, fundamentally, have an error rate, even before they lose coherence and descend into pure randomness. The error rates we get with nitrogen vacancy qubits are very, very good." "So," he continues, "the basic answer is yes, these are very powerful qubits, and what you can do with these qubits is going to be more powerful than what you can do with superconducting qubits, because you have longer to work with them, and they hold their state." So when will one of these things reach the storied milestone of quantum supremacy, becoming more powerful than any supercomputer at solving specific laboratory tests? In this case, that's not the focus. "We have a clear five-year roadmap to produce something we call quantum utility," says Luo. "Other systems can't miniaturize, we can miniaturize. So for us it's about producing a quantum computer or quantum accelerator that outperforms a classical computer of the same size, weight and power. It's outperforming the components within a supercomputer rather than outperforming entire supercomputers, in order to provide commercial utility." [Room-temperature diamond Quantum Accelerators could become just another component for a PC, offering quantum capabilities when there's an advantage] Room-temperature diamond Quantum Accelerators could become just another component for a PC, offering quantum capabilities when there's an advantage Quantum Brilliance The Quantum Brilliance vision is to make qubits an easily-integrated extra string to any computer's bow. Something like today's high-end graphics cards, produced in mass quantities to work in a broad range of systems at low unit costs. Software developers can then use traditional computing where that's advantageous and quantum only where it shines. That could be in tasks that involve simulating pretty much anything with an atomic structure that exhibits quantum mechanical behavior; Mattingley-Scott lists pharmacological drug development, battery electrode development and energy generation as fields where this kind of gear could make an immediate impact. It could be in the linear algebra and matrix-style operations that underpin a lot of machine learning and AI – an explosively growing field in itself – and it could be highly useful in tasks that involve optimization, for example trying to reduce energy usage across the entire global business structure of a large logistics company. "The potential business impact of quantum computing," says Mattingley-Scott, "is that it's going to fundamentally change almost everything we do, and the way we do it. I had a long, 32-year career at IBM, and for the last five of those I was running IBM's Ambassador Program, essentially a pre-sales and tech sales channel for quantum computing. And I had my eye on what was happening with diamonds, because if you can strike out the requirement to cryogenically cool your computer, it completely reframes the value proposition. So I've had Quantum Brilliance on my radar for some time, there's no other company working on a value proposition like this. And when the opportunity came along, that's why I joined." "So with our five-year plan to get to that graphics card-sized Quantum Accelerator," he continues, "there's lots of uncertainties, and unknown variables. But we're not waiting for any magical new technology. There are no gaps. We know how to get to that device, we just have to roll up our sleeves and do it. And industrialize things, and get the yields and capacities up and that good stuff. But that's essentially the stuff the semiconductor industry has proven itself very good at, and we'll be leveraging that. So I can't give you exact dates, but that's where we're headed to, an industrialized type volume business."

2 1

Here's a great way to fight all the ignorant, cowardly, technofascist fucktards
by professor rat 30 Sep '21

30 Sep '21

Get off the internet

1 0

Batshit Crazy Antivaxxers FUCK OFF and DIE
by professor rat 30 Sep '21

30 Sep '21

YouTube Bans Anti-Vaccine Misinformation The New York Times 52 minutes ago YouTube is banning Joseph Mercola and a handful of other anti-vaccine activists The Washington Post 32 minutes ago

1 0

GRAMPS Stinking Garbage Scow Sails On
by professor rat 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

Well he may be as politically suss as Petey Thiel and regularly proffer dangerous-quack medical advice, but wait! There's MORE! Gramps clearly has the economic views of an Neanderthal, Mongoloid, inverse-Marxist, Randite-Paultard, Austro-Libertarian, Mincing-Goldbugger, NeoNazi* MORON! *Sear Austria under Dolfuss/ Mises - and Chile under Pinochet/ Hayek

1 0

Cryptocurrency: The Only Way to Drain The Swamp
by grarpamp 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

"Fill The Swamp": The Federal Administrative State Grew Even Under Trump, Paid Most Under Biden https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/07/01/bidens-white-house… https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/09/27/the-federal-admini… https://www.openthebooks.com/mapping-the-swamp--openthebooks-report/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2019/08/28/a-progress-report-… https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/06/17/with-juneteenth-fe… https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/02/11/ceo-jeffrey-lyash-… https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/01/28/president-trumps-r… Everyone from Ronald Reagan (1983) to Nancy Pelosi (2006) to Donald Trump (2016) issued calls to "drain the swamp." However, in a new oversight report by OpenTheBooks.com, Mapping The Swamp, A Study Of The Administrative State, we found that the federal agency payrolls continued to grow unabated. President Trump was holding the headcount of the executive agencies roughly flat through at least 2018. Then, the pandemic driven spending caused a massive federal hiring spree in FY2020. Key Facts 1. EXPENSIVE BUREAUCRACY: The federal disclosed workforce costs the American taxpayer $2.3 million per minute, $140 million per hour, and $1.1 billion per day. In FY2020, the federal government disclosed 2.8 million employees — including 1.4 million executive agency bureaucrats; 698,547 DOD employees; and 678,537 USPS employees — for an estimated total compensation cost of $292 billion. (Formula: disclosed cash compensation: $225 billion plus an estimated 30-percent in benefits equals $292 billion). 2. THE SWAMP GETS BIGGER: 1.4 million disclosed employees in the executive agencies (non DOD and USPS) rose to a modern-day high (2020) – up 3.7-percent from 1.35 million employees in FY2016. Veterans Affairs with 421,542 employees was the largest executive agency, and, since FY2016, headcount grew by 48,928 employees (13-percent). Homeland Security with 210,253 employees, grew by 26,290 employees (14.3-percent). 3. HIGHLY COMPENSATED BUREAUCRATS: 532,784 employees made $100,000+ in the 122 executive agencies (non DOD and USPS) — from 406,960 employees in FY2016 (up 31-percent). Furthermore, 37,631 employees made $200,000+ (up 52-percent) and 7,692 employees earned $300,000+ (up 144-percent). Dr. Anthony Fauci was the most highly compensated federal employee — across all agencies — for the second year and earned $434,312. 4. A NEW MINIMUM WAGE: The average pay was $100,000+ in 100 of 122 executive agencies (non DOD and USPS) and departments. 26,853 federal employees out-earned every state governor ($225,000 | New York). 5. PAID TO STAY HOME: 44-days of paid-time off (PTO) on average for bureaucrats employed in the executive agencies (non DOD and USPS) – 11 holidays, 13 sick days, and 20 vacation days. The estimated taxpayer subsidy of this benefit is $22 billion annually. 6. THE $15 MILLION MAN: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a quasi-public federal agency, paid their CEO Jeffry Lyash $15.5 million in salary, retirement and other benefits over a two-year period, FY2019-FY2020. The TVA is a federal entity, but doesn’t currently receive taxpayer funding. 7. VA EMPLOYMENT FARM: Since 2012, Veterans Affairs added 106,037 new positions to payroll, yet only 6,674 were doctors (Medical Officers). Only one in every sixteen new positions were doctors. 8. BLOATED WHITE HOUSE PAYROLL: The Biden White House is the most expensive in history with over 560 employees and $50 million annual payroll expense. By comparison, President Trump employed 377 staffers with an inflation adjusted $40 million payroll in his first year (2017). 9. ARMED BUREAUCRATS: Federal employees (non-DOD) with firearm authority (200,000+) now exceeds the number of U.S. Marines (186,000). Employees in 103 agencies with firearm authority include 69,000 at Department of Justice; 63,000 at Homeland Security; and even 4,547 police officers at Veterans Affairs and 2,159 special agents at the Internal Revenue Service. 10. TRANSPARENCY PROBLEMS: 259,000 names were redacted accounting for an estimated $25 billion in cash compensation within the executive agency payroll (non DOD and USPS). The number of redactions grew from 3,500 in FY2016. Department of Defense: only disclosed the 698,547 civilian employees with salary, title and branch, but redacted all names. The U.S. Post Office disclosed 678,537 employees, but redacted all bonuses. In addition, another $225 billion in estimated compensation remains hidden and not subject to the oversight of this report: an estimated $100 billion in non-disclosed salaries of the 1,379,800 million active military members; and another $125 billion in undisclosed pension-retirement annuity payouts.

1 0

Cryptocurrency: SEC FED and CBDC will all be Dead in 10 years
by grarpamp 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

> https://dailyhodl.com/2021/09/23/sec-chair-gary-gensler-calls-blockchain-te… No. What they're really programming you with are calls for CBDC's, that GovBank will be your saviour, that p2p distributed privacy capable unprintable cryptos are all "scams" "ponzis" "frauds" "doomed to fail". Fuck that noise. Use crypto. Let their carcasses rot in their own hallowed aisles. SEC Chair Gary Gensler Calls Blockchain Technology a Global Catalyst for Change U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission head Gary Gensler says he believes the technology underlying cryptocurrencies is beneficial. In a new interview with the Washington Post, Gensler says that blockchain technology, which gained its present-day prominence after the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin (BTC), is helping to improve payment systems. “Nakamoto-san’s innovation, not only Bitcoin as the first sort of one, but this whole distributed ledger technology, has been a catalyst for change around the globe. Central banks and the private sector are looking in on how we can enhance our payment systems. And [in a way] to make them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, real time, at lower cost.” Blockchain technology is also spurring innovation in the markets and banking, according to the SEC chair. “I also think it’s raising new and interesting innovations around how exchanges work and even potentially some forms of decentralized lending. We’ve had peer-to-peer lending for 15-20 years, we’ve experimented with it. This is a new type of experiment. So, those are really interesting innovations challenging the established business models.” Gensler also says he believes stablecoins, which are designed to maintain a constant value, are similar to “poker chips” and the need exists to regulate them before problems arise. “These stablecoins are acting almost like poker chips at the casino right now. So, add to the Wild West analogy. I mean, we’ve got a lot of casinos here in the Wild West, and the poker chip is these stablecoins at the casino gaming tables. And so, I think there’s just a lot of warning signs and flashing lights that we might have a spill in aisle three, and I’d rather get ahead of it.”

1 1

Use not TOR
by zeynepaydogan 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

Use a no-logs VPN. The Tor project can’t help anonymously.Don’t respect a community where people who say they're incompetent behind each other's backs. in 2014, the daily log was leaked. Tor hasn't made a statement about it. And some of them work in highest ranked position on Google. And yesterday, the Tor community team leader asked me what this “leak” was. After He found out, Tor and the team leader didn't answer my questions. TOR may be transferring daily-log to an institution Sent from ProtonMail for iOS

2 3

YouTube deletes RT's German channels over COVID misinformation
by professor rat 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

PUTIN ( and all his puppets ) need killing ( My 2k rubles ) YouTube deletes RT's German channels over COVID misinformation Reuters 12 hours ago YouTube deletes RT’s German channels over Covid misinformation The Guardian 8 hours ago View Full Coverage keyboard_arrow_up

1 0

The great pivot and reset for crypto-anarchy
by professor rat 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

Crisis for Btc ( and Buterin? ) means opportunity for all anarchists that want to take back their good name from the Right-Wing Scum that tried to steal it. Anarchy means anarchy - not some mincing Gold-Buggers idea of preening, posing and posturing at LOL-GOP-Qanon rallies with a bow-tie on. Fuck that Randite, Paultard, Austro-libertarian NOISE! Modern anarchy starts with Godwin, Stirner and Proudhon. It includes important thought leaders like Bakunin, Kropotkin , Goldman and Malatesta. It traverses epoch shattering events like anarchist Ukraine and Spain. The far-right can't tap into this narrative for profit just cos some LEFT fascists tried. Council-commies, Shituationists, Autonomen, Communizers - one by one they tried. They tried and died. As it was with this Red Shirt Filth so shall it be with the Brown. Anarchy, the purge, has already begun. We're going up - They're going down. Welcome to globalized anarchist revolution and its dazzling new world order, openly and honestly called ' Crypto-anarchist ". LOVE it or LEAVE IT.

1 0

New Atlas: Quantum computing hits the desktop, no cryo-cooling required
by jim bell 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

New Atlas: Quantum computing hits the desktop, no cryo-cooling required. https://newatlas.com/quantum-computing/quantum-computing-desktop-room-tempe…

1 0