I am neither an expert in computing, technology and cryptography. I am simply human. This is a glance into the world I will be leaving one day.
Everyone’s talking about bitcoin, blockchain technology and how this will change the future. I like to believe I am an optimist but being optimistic means facing reality with no expectations and embracing disruption as part of nature.
Tonight, I was chatting with a colleague about thinking too far into the future. This conversation led to quantum computing. I had and still have no clue what it is. What sparked it was a simple question : Is is good or bad to think far ahead?
Yes and maybe. “No” brings about a certain degree of pessimism which I would like to avoid for now.
After a fair bit of goggling, quantum computing has been in research and development for almost 30 years. For all the regular folks out there like me here is an excerpt from Independent that might help us understand WTH is quantum computing.
Quantum computers could come to dwarf the processing power of today’s conventional computers, by harnessing the strange effects of quantum physics. They could eventually allow for new techniques in everything from healthcare to physics, allowing work to be done at a speed almost inconceivable today.
Some of you might be going “duh…” and it’s perfectly fine. However, there are many things to think about as we get past this age of disruption : version 1.0
In simple terms, the binary rule that governs classic computing is about to change.
Source :http://qoqms.phys.strath.ac.uk/research_qc.html
Let’s consider the inconceivable today:
Massive Increase In Computing Speed
Massive Increase in computing speed brings about countless new possibilities that at this time I cannot even begin to conceive. I do however have some questions.
a. What are the inherent threats to blockchain technology? The obvious is mining speeds for bitcoin will naturally increase exponentially but I assume it also means once “un-hackable” cryptography may be hackable. In the same way, it also means that some higher level of cryptography will arise to combat that. Does it render blockchain technology useless or does it strengthen it?
b. Collaboration in the cloud may surpass real time. Hard to imagine right? Yeah, I’m struggling here too. At this moment I can only imagine that loading time, connection speeds and any form of “lag” will diminish or disappear. For starters, this means there will be a hybrid of all current technology resulting in real time collaboration in fields of work and services that today is still reliant on classic computing and internet connection speeds. The result of which will create an endless range of opportunities.
c. Quantum computing will be a neural network’s dream because it’s analytical abilities surpass humans. The exponential ability to analyze much larger data sets and enhance the speed at which machine learning moves will result in the provision of much deeper insight. Deeper insight brings about imagination, something a quantum computer can probably do, or at least learn to do. I don’t even know what a qubit is but it sure hints that bitcoin may have been created in a “prehistoric” era of the Space Age.
Source :http://qoqms.phys.strath.ac.uk/research_qc.html
- Services and Applications That Arise From Quantum Computing
a. Whatever needs greater speed and computing power. That pretty much means most information gathering for of activities. I imagine I will be able to collaborate in real time with others making music through some form of quantum computing, working between some future form of a DAW, while the computer tells me based on historical data if I am on my way to the bank or broke. It might even be able to analyze all the songs in the world as I am creating a song. My royalty reports will come as soon as the first person listens to the song I will upload to all whatever will be the music consumption platform of the future.
b. The decentralized world would have arrived by then and with advanced forms of cryptography, current technology like blockchain technology would be one of many components to the future economic ecosystems. This will change the nature of finance because quantum computing can do all the number crunching that all the financial institutions in the world do each day at a minute fraction of the time. That is probably why there is no need to be worried about bitcoin regulation because even bitcoin or any cryptocurrency replacing financial institutions is hardly important three decades from now. You get the picture.
Source: http://www.21stcentech.com/quantum-computers-dos/
- Disruption 10.0
a. Governance, analytics, research and day to day logistics occurring at neck breaking speeds will make the workday shorter or erase the traditional idea of a 9–5 job. Mankind will continue to reproduce but we will get a lot more done in 24 hours. This is almost like saying we can get to live the quantity of multiple lifetimes in our one lifetime.
b. It is hard to conceive disruption in a world ran by quantum computers because what we call “disruption” today will happen daily. When machines can analyze data at lightning speed while we surround ourselves with hardware that can do is unconceivable today, that quality of life will be pretty awesome. Einstein probably already knew this 70 years ago before this writing.
The lesson I learnt today was not about quantum computing. It was about thinking ahead so as not to lack “future shock” cause me too much pain.
Simply put, we should not think of changing the world but rather understanding the behavior of change.
I am humbled. Thanks, Josh.
This was what the future taught to me as a kid growing up in the 80s.