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Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists hit quantum computer error rate of 0.000015% — a world record achievement that could lead to smaller and faster machines
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have achieved the lowest quantum computing error rate ever recorded — an important step in solving the fundamental challenges on the way to practical, utility-scale quantum computers. In research published June 12 in the journal APS Physical Review Letters, the scientists demonstrated a quantum error rate of 0.000015%, which equates to one error per 6.7 million operations. This achievement represents an improvement of nearly an order of magnitude in both fidelity and speed over the previous record of approximately one error for every 1 million operations — achieved by the same team in 2014. The prevalence of errors, or "noise," in quantum operations can render a quantum computer's outputs useless. This noise comes from a variety of sources, including imperfections in the control methods (essentially, problems with the computer's architecture and algorithms) and the laws of physics. That's why considerable efforts have gone into quantum error correction. While errors related to natural law, such as decoherence (the natural decay of the quantum state) and leakage (the qubit state leaking out of the computational subspace), can be reduced only within those laws, the team's progress was achieved by reducing the noise generated by the computer's architecture and control methods to almost zero. Related: Scientists make 'magic state' breakthrough after 20 years — without it, quantum computers can never be truly useful "By drastically reducing the chance of error, this work significantly reduces the infrastructure required for error correction, opening the way for future quantum computers to be smaller, faster, and more efficient," Molly Smith, a graduate student in physics at the University of Oxford and co-lead author of the study, said in a statement. "Precise control of qubits will also be useful for other quantum technologies such as clocks and quantum sensors." Record-low quantum computing error rates The quantum computer used in the team's experiment relied on a bespoke platform that eschews the more common architecture that uses photons as qubits — the quantum equivalent of computer bits — for qubits made of "trapped ions." The study was also conducted at room temperature, which the researchers said simplifies the setup required to integrate this technology into a working quantum computer. Whereas most quantum systems either deploy superconducting circuits that rely on "quantum dots" or employ the use of lasers — often called "optical tweezers" — to hold a single photon in place for operation as a qubit, the team used microwaves to trap a series of calcium-43 ions in place. With this approach, the ions are placed into a hyperfine "atomic clock" state. According to the study, this technique allowed the researchers to create more "quantum gates," which are analogous to the number of 'quantum operations' a computer can perform, with greater precision than the photon-based methods allowed. Once the ions were placed into a hyperfine atomic clock state, the researchers calibrated the ions via an automated control procedure that regularly corrected them for amplitude and frequency drift caused by the microwave control method. In other words, the researchers developed an algorithm to detect and correct the noise produced by the microwaves used to trap the ions. By removing this noise, the team could then conduct quantum operations with their system at or near the lowest error rate physically possible. Using this method, it is now possible to develop quantum computers that are capable of conducting single-gate operations (those conducted with a single qubit gate as opposed to a gate requiring multiple qubits) with nearly zero errors at large scales. This could lead to more efficient quantum computers in general and, per the study, achieves a new state-of-the-art single-qubit gate error and the breakdown of all known sources of error, thus accounting for most errors produced in single-gate operations. This means engineers who build quantum computers with the trapped-ion architecture and developers who create the algorithms that run on them won't have to dedicate as many qubits to the sole purpose of error correction. RELATED STORIES —'The science is solved': IBM to build monster 10,000-qubit quantum computer by 2029 —Scientists forge path to the first million-qubit processor for quantum computers after 'decade in the making' breakthrough —'Quantum AI' algorithms already outpace the fastest supercomputers, study says By reducing the error, the new method reduces the number of qubits required and the cost and size of the quantum computer itself, the researchers said in the statement. This isn't a panacea for the industry, however, as many quantum algorithms require multigate qubits functioning alongside or formed from single-gate qubits to perform computations beyond rudimentary functions. The error rate in two-qubit gate functions is still roughly 1 in 2,000. While this study represents an important step toward practical, utility-scale quantum computing, it doesn't address all of the "noise" problems inherent in complex multigate qubit systems.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Science
- Associated Press
A science journal pulled a controversial study about a bizarre life form against the authors' wishes
NEW YORK (AP) — A microscopic discovery in a California lake sparked buzz and controversy more than a decade ago when it was first revealed. Scientists said they'd discovered bacteria that used the element arsenic — poisonous to life as we know it — to grow. If true, it expanded the possibilities for where life could exist on Earth — or on other worlds. Several research groups failed to replicate the results, and argue it's not possible for a living thing to use something so toxic to make DNA and proteins. Some scientists have suggested the results of the original experiments may have been skewed by undetected contaminants. On Thursday, the journal Science, which first published the research, retracted it, though not because of misconduct on the researchers' part. 'If the editors determine that a paper's reported experiments do not support its key conclusions, even if no fraud or manipulation occurred, a retraction is considered appropriate,' the journal's editor-in-chief Holden Thorp wrote in the statement announcing the retraction. The researchers disagree with the journal's decision and stand by their data. It's reasonable to pull a paper for major errors or suspected misconduct — but debates and disagreements over the findings are part of the scientific process, said study co-author Ariel Anbar of Arizona State University. 'One doesn't retract a paper because the interpretation is controversial, or even because most disagree with the interpretation,' wrote Anbar in an email. 'At least, that hasn't been the case until now.' Science has more frequently retracted papers for reasons beside fraud in recent years, said Thorp and Vada Vinson, Science's executive editor, wrote in a blog post. NASA helped fund the original work. The space agency's science mission chief Nicky Fox said in a statement that NASA does not support the retraction and encourages Science to reconsider. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Business Leaders Can Help Rebuild Trust In Innovation
Dr. Michael Johnson, President of the New Jersey Innovation Institute. For those of us who work in the innovation economy, you might feel like innovation is being deprioritized right now. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is facing cuts. National Science Foundation (NSF) grant programs are shrinking. Higher education is under increasing political and economic pressure. Venture capital investment in deep tech and biotech has plummeted. In some industries, startups that once might have raised funding in days now sit in purgatory for months. Some experts have warned that failing to prioritize and fund innovation, such as scientific research, could leave a lasting effect that Americans feel "for decades to come." As I see it, they are not entirely wrong, but there are reasons for these shifts. A Broken Social Contract Look at the past 40 years of innovation from the perspective of the average American, and it's easy for me to see why trust has eroded. Pharmaceutical innovations, for example, have produced miracle drugs, but many of these therapies cost six figures and remain inaccessible to many Americans. Automation and globalization have shifted demand away from mid-level skills and reduced the number of middle-skill jobs in favor of higher-level skill jobs. Increased globalization has also had a major impact on factory communities in the U.S. After the increase in imported goods from China in the early 2000s, "Many U.S. manufacturing towns couldn't compete ... Those communities experienced higher unemployment, lower wages, higher use of food stamps, higher disability payments, higher rates of single parenthood and child poverty, and elevated mortality," the Wall Street Journal reported. At the same time, economic gains have largely consolidated at the top. For many Americans, innovation has meant progress for others and pain for them. Now, with AI threatening white-collar positions, office workers are also facing uncertainty around job security. The unspoken agreement behind the innovation economy was simple: Scientists and entrepreneurs would invent the future, and everyone would share in the benefits. But I believe that promise has fallen apart. We built unicorns instead of ladders, and when support eroded, we were shocked to find some of the public no longer on our side. In my view, we don't need less innovation, but we do need better innovation—and it needs to be human-centered, broadly distributed and explicitly designed to lift everyone. Here's what that looks like and how businesses can help. 1. Focus on serving everyone. We, as leaders, can shift our focus toward solving problems that affect everyday people. That means supporting research and developing technologies that improve healthcare access, reduce energy costs, expand educational opportunities and address community-level needs. I believe much of the public is more interested in manufacturing innovations that drop the price of essentials, like blood pressure medication, than in developing new, expensive therapeutics they can't access. We can also advocate for federal agencies like the NIH and the NSF to reward translational science and public impact, not just academic publication. Universities can elevate researchers who produce solutions and not just citations. 2. Don't forget about blue-collar workers. We shouldn't equate success with becoming a white-collar professional. Not everyone will be a doctor, lawyer or software engineer, and that is perfectly fine. For too long, I believe the innovation economy has often celebrated a narrow definition of achievement, one that sidelines the millions of Americans who work with their hands, build physical things and keep essential systems running. Over the past 50 years, many of these jobs have been offshored or automated. But these are not disposable workers. They are the backbone of our economy and critical to our communities. I believe we need to develop innovations that create real, durable jobs for tradespeople, factory workers and front-line professionals—jobs that offer salaries capable of meeting basic needs without government assistance. This means building: • Human-centered automation and robotics that enhance physical labor rather than replace it • Intelligent tools and platforms that make trades work more efficient, safer and higher paid • Industries of the future, like clean manufacturing, modular construction and precision agriculture, that are built from the ground up to include and empower these workers If we want to recognize the dignity in all work, we must design innovations around the people who do it. That starts with recognizing their value and building a future that includes them on purpose. 3. Build real solutions that improve daily life. Innovation should not be measured by the number of patents filed or the amount of capital raised. I believe it should be judged by how directly it improves people's lives. For business leaders, this means building real solutions: technologies, systems and services that address the problems people actually face every day. This might include looking for ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs, reduce heating and cooling bills, cut the time it takes to get a doctor's appointment or improve public services. I believe what our institutions need is a new mandate: Focus on solving real problems that matter to everyday people, and do it with urgency, transparency and humility. When innovation is visible, useful and human-centered, it earns back public trust. That's how we restore belief in progress. Trust isn't built by asking people to imagine the future, but by delivering results that improve their lives today. Final Thoughts Innovation in America is not dead, but I do think it is misaligned. We have created incredible technologies, yet we have failed to ensure they serve the many. We have built a machine that doesn't work well for everyone. The path forward is not to retreat from innovation but to democratize it. We must restore trust, rebuild the social contract and make innovation a project that lifts all boats, not just the yachts. That is how we make innovation matter again. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
How will SA's algal bloom funding be spent
The Federal Government has pledged $14 million to assist the SA government deal with devastating effects of the algal bloom along its coastline. The state government has since announced they will match that - promising an additional $14 million to assist affected fishers and for scientific research, monitoring, and communications. But where will the money be spent and when could we see an end in sight to the marine damage as dead fish, sharks, and rays continue to wash up on parts of the South Australia coastline.
Zawya
22-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended Liberia Technology Summit 2025
On July 21, Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended the Liberia Technology Summit 2025 and delivered a speech. The event was also attended by Hon. Haja Mamaka Bility, Acting Minister of States, Hon. Augustine K. Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Sekou M. Kromah, Minister of Post and Telecommunications. Representatives from relevant UN agencies and diplomatic missions in Liberia. Yin highlighted the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and China's achievements in science and technology. He pointed out that China will establish a global scientific research fund and increase science and technology assistance to developing countries, making technological progress benefits all humanity. He expressed China is willing to strengthen scientific and technological innovation cooperation with Liberia, so as to make it a new engine of China-Liberia strategic partnership. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.
