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Technology / Quantum computing and security?

« on: 11/11/2019 09:10:34 »

So it appears that quantum computing is actually not just science fiction and we could see it functioning soon in commerce, medicine, the military ... I understand small quantum computers are now active... and bigger computers are only a matter of time away. If I understand correctly we won't be living in an exclusively quantum computer world as current classical computing will still be used alongside. Of course quantum computing is and will continue to develop to levels we never dreamed possible ... I'm 62 years old so I certainly never dreamed it possible!

The benefits of quantum computing will on the whole have positive benefits for mankind and the planet ... but as with everything else there will be a minority that will be out to exploit  this development. The hacking and exploitation of the classical system must be an ongoing serious problem for authorities ... and from what I've seen there have been minor incidents around the world.

Does the emergence of quantum computing present a bigger problem in terms of personal, national, world security ? Would a breach of security have bigger implications for us all ? Would the increased efficiency and speed of quantum computing also mean the speed of exploitation would be that much quicker? (I'm using the term exploitation to mean misuse.)

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 11/11/2019 08:39:06 »

That's interesting hamandi ... a lot of information I am coming across is based on simulation and not the results of experimentation. Simulation is fine up to a point I suspect. But there comes a point when the simulation has to be replicated by experiment in order for it to carry any credence.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Does information have mass?

« on: 08/11/2019 22:57:27 »

I will try and define what I mean by information but I think it might just sound silly!

So ... both entangled photons have in their data file/s that the sky is blue.

Now ... what if for some reason only one photon had the data that the sky was blue ... but it wanted the other photon to know the sky was blue? That photon would have to perform an action ... send the data in the form of information to the other photon.

The actual sending of the data then becomes information because it involves an action and has a consequence ... the other photon gains the knowledge that the sky is blue.

But ... now I know a little more about 'entanglement' I'm thinking I couldn't apply my logic to entangled photons because ... they are just that, 'entangled'!

Originally I was imagining one photon at one end of the universe, and one at the other ... one jumping to the left, sending that information to the other, which would jump to the right. I wanted to know if that information that travelled across the universe had matter. If so then it couldn't travel faster than C.

Have you ever dug a big hole ... and then jumped in !? I think I just have !!!

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 08/11/2019 17:44:21 »

Time to do some printing I think. Can't beat paper in the hand!

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Does information have mass?

« on: 08/11/2019 17:30:40 »

I read about entangled atoms/electrons transferring information across vast distances ‘instantaneously’ or ‘near-instantaneously’. I also read that the speed of this information transfer was 'around 3-trillion meters per second – or four orders of magnitude faster than light.                   ( https://futurism.com/chinese-physicists-measure-speed-of-quantum-entanglement-2)

My understanding is that anything with mass cannot travel at or beyond the speed of light. My understanding then ... this information shared between atoms/electrons cannot have mass. Hence my question ... does information in this instance have mass ?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Does information have mass?

« on: 07/11/2019 21:06:07 »

I am thinking about quantum entanglement when I ask the question ... does information have mass?

When I read that pairs or groups of particles can act and react in a way that would indicate they share the same information regardless of their distance apart ... even a cosmic distance apart ... or they receive and act upon the same information instantaneously ... then I have to ask, can information do such a thing when we have a speed limit of C , the speed of light? I guess the answer has to be yes if information has no mass ... and no if information does have mass? Information - distance - spooky action.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 07/11/2019 20:31:56 »

So much to take in its impossible to put a response together! A nice concise up to date book might help me collate all the information into something coherent.

It would seem that Quantum Mechanics is more relevant now than ever in the world we live in. Well it has become more relevant to me anyway. And at 62 years old I thought I had most things sussed. I have no problem in accepting Quantum Mechanics for what it is, even though ... yes ... most of it appears completely bonkers! But there are many questions to be answered and QM seems to be going a fair way to answering them. And hey ... what's the alternative?

I wonder what we would be thinking about Relativity now if we had discovered Quantum Mechanics first? So ... after the reading I've done so far, just what is the biggest obstacle to reconciling Relativity with Quantum Mechanics? 

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 06/11/2019 11:01:39 »

I think it's fair to say that I could not get into any meaningful discussion with you guys because of our differing levels of scientific/mathematical understanding on the whole subject. You guys have years of education and study on the subject ... I on the other hand have no scientific education, online animated videos and a inborn inability to understand mathematics. Okay, perhaps not meaningful to you but perhaps yes, meaningful to me because it brings about a greater understanding of the subject I am asking about, in this case the double slit experiment. So that's me kind of saying thanks for your patience ...

So I now understand that a detector at each slit would not alter the results ... the dual nature of the, shall we stick with a single photon, would still remain ... seemingly a particle before the double slit and a wave after the double slit ... and reverting back to a particle when 'observed' after the double slit. Also delaying the observation until the photon has passed through the slit and has nearly reached its destination results in the photon reverting back to it's particle state as it was before entering through the double slit. The point is that the photons travelling through the slits should produce an impact pattern similar to the double slits. But in actual fact they produce an interference pattern. So ... wave - particle duality. Why ? I now need to discover the 'suggested' reasons as to how/why this is possible. Anyone care to suggest / put forward a reason?  (oh ... and for hecks sake I hope my understanding above indicates I've understood correctly so far !)

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 05/11/2019 10:46:16 »

Oh boy ... I spent 45 minutes writing a reply and then decided to delete that start again and include a link for the video I had watched. After another 20 minutes of writing and trying to upload my reply that then didn't appear ... so try again!

I am posting a link to the video I watched to better explain myself. (agh ... not allowed to post external links.) edit ( Double Slit Experiment explained! by Jim Al-Khalili)


In the video a flashing/beeping detector is placed above the upper slit of 2 in order to detect which slits atoms were travelling through. Apparently it is 50/50. From what I gather this is to attempt to discover how/why it is atoms revert from an interference pattern to a particle pattern when directly observed. (although from observing the experiment without the detector I would class as observation anyway?)

The question I was trying to ask was ... what if there were 2 detectors observing both slits as opposed to just the top one?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 04/11/2019 19:13:13 »

er ... yes I probably got that all wrong! sorry. I'll do a bit more reading and watching.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / What happens when both slits are observed by in the double slit experiment?

« on: 04/11/2019 09:16:36 »

Hi all. Like so many others, not involved with science but interested in most aspects especially physics.

I have watched a version/explanation of the double slit experiment on the internet and of course it was very interesting. I watched as single photons passed through a single slit producing a single bar pattern. Then a single photon passing through 2 slits producing the interference pattern. To count how many actual photons were going through each particular slit a counter was set up at one of the slits. The pattern then reverted back to a single pattern as no photons were recorded going through the watched slit! Strange but acceptable. My question ... what happens when both slits are observed by a counter?

Hopefully I have that correct and you can understand why I am asking that particular question.

Lloyd