The Need, Promise, and Reality of Quantum Computing

Despite giving us the most spectacular wave of technological innovation in human history, there are certain computational problems that the digital revolution still can't seem to solve. Some of these problems could be holding back key scientific breakthroughs, and even the global economy. Although conventional computers have been doubling in power and processing speed nearly ever two years for decades, they still don't seem to be getting any closer to solving these persistent problems. Want to know why? Ask any computer scientist, and they'll probably give you the same answer: today's digital, conventional computers are built on a classical, and very limited, model of computing. In the long run, to efficiently solve the world's most persistent computing problems, we're going to have to turn to an entirely new and more capable animal: the quantum computer.