Introduction to Quantum Computing

In a quantum computer, the fundamental unit of information (called a quantum bit or qubit), is not binary but rather more quaternary in nature.  This qubit property arises as a direct consequence of its adherence to the laws of quantum mechanics which differ radically from the laws of classical physics.  A qubit can exist not only in a state corresponding to the logical state 0 or 1 as in a classical bit, but also in states corresponding to a blend or superposition of these classical states.  In other words, a qubit can exist as a zero, a one, or simultaneously as both 0 and 1, with a numerical coefficient representing the probability for each state.

 

There is a nice introduction to quantum computing at http://www.cs.caltech.edu/~westside/quantum-intro.html.

 

http://digg.com/tech_news/QUANTUM_COMPUTERS_Debuting_Commerically_in_2008

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"QUANTUM COMPUTERS Debuting Commerically in 2008!!"
a silicon chip that houses 16 "qubits," the equivalent of a storage bit in a conventional computer, connected to each other. Each qubit consists of dots of the element niobium surrounded by coils of wire. When electrical current comes down the wire, magnetic fields are generated, which, in turn, causes the change in the state of the qubit

I have just uploaded an video I did for a computer animation class. I put it on YouTube and wanted to see if I could embed the video in my blog here. So, without further ado, I give you the animated short, "Best Friend", by Sean Lane Fuller. It is about an alien that comes to Earth and the intelligent life he finds is a dog playing with a ball on a beach. I got the idea from a dream I had a long time ago.

I bought my third pair of $19 glasses!
I have now bought three pair of eye glasses from Zenni Optical. Every pair has been great. You just enter your prescription, pick from their large selection, enter your credit card number and mailing address, wait about 2 weeks and you get a pair of great glasses for a very low price. The only number that you have to enter that isn't in a prescription is the distance between your pupils. I found this easily by holding up a ruler and looking in the mirror. The web address is http://zennioptical.com/.

Incredible Star Trek Models out of Paper!
When I was a kid, I used to make paper models of trucks and planes. I didn't know anybody else did it. Now, on the Internet, I find out that it is a hobby shared by a lot of people. Paper modeling, also known as card modeling (see the wiki entry) is really taking off now that there are lots of free models on the Internet that can be printed and built. There is a site at http://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_scifi.html where there are a lot of Science Fiction related models that can be downloaded FREE. I really like the model of the Star Trek Enterprise bridge. It just blows my mind what can be built out of paper alone.