IBM just broke the record of simulating chemistry with a quantum computer

Engineers have modelled the interactions between subatomic components of a complex molecule using a quantum computer, making a significant leap forward in our modelling of chemical reactions. The simulations were carried out by IBM on superconducting hardware, and this milestone just pushed into new territory for what can be achieved using quantum computing. The molecule in question was beryllium hydride – or BeH2. It's not the fanciest molecule in town, but there's still a lot going on between those two hydrogens and single beryllium for a computer to figure out. Molecular simulations aren't revolutionary on their own – classical computers are capable of some pretty detailed models that can involve far more than three atoms.