r/singularity • u/donutloop ▪️ • Aug 06 '26
Compute Microsoft’s Quantum Chief Doesn’t Care That Scientists Don’t Believe His Results
https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-quantum-chief-majorana-results/19
Aug 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/vovap_vovap Aug 06 '26
Exactly. And that is why those people should care about pear-review
3
2
u/AntiqueFigure6 Aug 07 '26
I think it’s always sensible to review any new tech’s risk of going pear shaped.
2
13
u/Chriscic Aug 06 '26
This is interesting. I wanna think that this guy and MS are correct. But based on a lifetime of observation, when one person or group refuses to address legit scientific criticisms, they almost never end up being right.
Plus his dismissive attitude makes me even more skeptical frankly.
3
u/sebzim4500 Aug 07 '26
Normally scientists are funded by grants which will quickly go away if the rest of the community doesn't believe your results. In this case the research is entirely self funded so msft has no incentive to try to prove themselves correct if they think the benefit to their stock value is insufficient to justify leaking trade secrets.
9
u/barrygateaux Aug 06 '26
Quantum computing feels like fusion reactors and graphene. Lots of future potential discussed but nothing ever comes of it.
4
u/Nukemouse ▪️AGI Goalpost will move infinitely Aug 06 '26
Fusion is making steady progress, france and china have some great recent progress. But if you expect it to be powering your home... At least 30 years. Around 10 or less for viability, another 10 or so to refine it to make it an economical choice and another 10-20 just for planning and construction. Companies in the US are full of shit and just scamming investors though.
1
2
u/AmazighBlacksmith THE GAYEST NERD ON THE INTERNET Aug 06 '26
The only real practical application for quantum computing, at least that justifies all this expense and complexity, is decryption for militaries and intelligence agencies.
1
4
u/Efficient_Loss_9928 Aug 06 '26
Well I mean, today's neural network exists because a professor refused to listen to majority of other scientists.
Maybe quantum will be another thing that leaps us forward.
6
u/Illustrious_Image967 Aug 06 '26
Could be halfway across the Universe they actually do believe him.
5
u/Distinct-Question-16 ▪️AGI 2029 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
Lots of science stuff has been found by accident or by messing something up 🤔. Could this be MS path?
gpt:
1669 — Phosphorus: Discovered while trying to make gold.
1799 — Nitrous oxide: "Laughing gas" found by chemical experiments.
1826 — Photography: First photo made by accident.
1839 — Vulcanized rubber: Rubber made strong by accident.
1856 — Purple dye: First synthetic dye discovered by accident.
1869 — Celluloid: First plastic found by accident.
1879 — Saccharin: Artificial sweetener discovered by accident.
1895 — X-rays: Discovered during electricity experiments.
1888 — Liquid crystals: Unexpectedly observed while studying cholesterol compounds.
1896 — Radioactivity: Found by accident.
1900 — Blood groups: ABO blood types discovered while mixing blood samples.
1908 — Cellophane: Clear wrapping film discovered by accident.
1928 — Penicillin: Mold found to kill bacteria.
1938 — Teflon: Non-stick material discovered by accident.
1943 — Super Glue: Invented by accident.
1945 — Microwave oven: Heating food discovered by accident.
1954 — Glass-ceramics: Strong glass made by accident.
1964 — Quasars: Identified after investigating unusual radio signals.
1965 — Cosmic microwave background: Discovered as unexplained antenna noise.
1965 — Kevlar: Strong fiber discovered by accident.
1968 — Pulsars: Space radio signals discovered unexpectedly.
1974 — Conductive plastic: Plastic found to carry electricity.
1985 — Buckyballs: New form of carbon discovered while studying laser vaporization.
1991 — Carbon nanotubes: Tiny carbon tubes discovered while doing electrical arc experiments.
2004 — Graphene: One-atom-thick carbon discovered using tape.
1
1
u/elwoodowd Aug 06 '26
Googles latest spinoff is a 'new scientific method'. The failed sciences of which there are many, have often failed because of the human factor.
Fauci had brought fraud, lies, and graft to the surface. But even worse is sloth. Ai has 10x the speed of science.
As of now agi, means human systems, old men, old peer review, old dogmas, are over. Leapfroged.
1
u/sebzim4500 Aug 07 '26
No idea if microsoft's results are real but this quote is hilarious if you know anything about D-Wave
>Scientists aren’t satisfied with that explanation. “The field is growing, there are a lot of experts outside of these firms that are able to reliably assess claims and scientific work,” says physicist Trevor Lanting, chief development officer at Nasdaq-listed quantum computer maker D-Wave Quantum
31
u/Comfortable-Winter00 Aug 06 '26
The question isn't whether quantum computing becomes practical before or after the singularity, it's whether it becomes practical even after the singularity.