Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch

“Tech companies have been funneling billions of dollars into quantum computers for years. The hope is that they’ll be a game changer for fields as diverse as finance, drug discovery, and logistics. Those expectations have been especially high in physics and chemistry, where the weird effects of quantum mechanics come into play. In theory, this is where quantum computers could have a huge advantage over conventional machines. But while the field struggles with the realities of tricky quantum hardware, another challenger is making headway in some of these most promising use cases. AI is now being applied to fundamental physics, chemistry, and materials science in a way that suggests quantum computing’s purported home turf might not be so safe after all.” (MIT Technology Review)

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LignoSat, a satellite made from wood and developed by scientists at Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, shown during a press conference in May, 2024. The world’s first wooden satellite, called LignoSat, has been launched into space by scientists at Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry. The experimental satellite is made of wood and is intended to burn up upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, potentially providing a way to avoid generating metal particles that can negatively impact the environment and telecommunications. (via Phys.org)

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