Quantum computers.
It was announced today that the United States Government is considering regulating quantum computers. This seems like a curious move, until one realizes that the U.S. Government has been building its very own quantum computer with the help of scientists at Cal. Tech for several years.
It wasn’t until it became obvious that if “we” can do it “they” can do it that legislators thought they could solve all of our problems by writing a silly quantum computer containment law. Since so many of our own secrets rest on the technical hurdles associated with factoring large numbers quickly, a viable quantum computer would be curtains to security as we know it.
So the U.S. government is presently in an interesting conundrum. What to do with our own quantum computer that merrily infiltrates foreign government computers around the world, while at the same time preventing anyone else from getting their hands on the same technology.
Sound familiar folks?
The secret of splitting atoms was also a closely guarded secret. Except here it’s a lot more problematic since the use of quantum computers will benefit all of society.
The problem is a WHOLE LOT BIGGER than any other computer snafu we’ve dealt with to date, including computers that can’t go past 1999. The cost to protect machines once these machines proliferate will be way up in the multi-billions of dollars.
Just like the cost to protect ourselves against rogue nations with nuclear weapons was in the stratosphere. Consider the fact the every computer on the planet will be vulnerable.
Except quantum computers of course, which none of us own.
But it’s nice that we (the U.S. Government) got there first!