We are spoiled. We take things for granted.
Consider our frustration when a phone call drops while speeding along a California freeway, or our expectation that a rice ball filled with tuna and mayonnaise will always be waiting at our favorite Tokyo convenience store. We effortlessly make purchases in Thai baht with a credit card issued in Italy, and place our trust in a vaccine, developed in Germany and globally distributed by an American company, to shield us from COVID and its myriad variants.
This ease in our daily lives belies the immense complexity of the challenges ingeniously tackled behind the scenes.
Yet, our appetite for progress is unrelenting. We crave more, better, faster. To satisfy this insatiable demand, the resolution of increasingly complex problems is imperative. Despite the astonishing advancements in artificial intelligence, they are not the final frontier.
For some challenges, the leap to the next level of innovation and problem-solving will require the extraordinary capabilities of quantum computing.
What Is Quantum Computing
Classical computing operates on a binary system of bits—zeroes and ones. Every piece of code, every algorithm in this realm, is a complex tapestry woven from these binary digits.
Enter Quantum Computing (QC), a paradigm shift rooted in the enigmatic principles of quantum mechanics. Here, in the sub-atomic realm, the predictable laws of classical physics blur into a haze of probabilities and uncertainties.
Consider a simple coin toss. In our everyday experience, flipping a coin 100 times would typically yield a near-even split between heads and tails. However, as quantum physicist Dr. Shohini Ghose illustrates, the quantum world defies such predictability, offering a spectrum of outcomes that could skew dramatically in any direction: 60-40, 30-70, even 97-3.
QC emerges from this strange, almost mystical domain, where particles like electrons and photons defy conventional logic, existing in states that are simultaneously zero, one, and every gradation in between. This is the realm of the qubit, capable of existing in a “superposition” that encompasses the entire spectrum at once.
Imagine the spectrum of visible light. We understand distinct colors like red, yellow, and blue, but also recognize the myriad shades in between. A classical computer might distinguish a yellowish-red or a purplish-blue, but a quantum computer embodies the entire spectrum simultaneously.
It’s understandably perplexing. Even physicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, admits below the baffling nature of quantum physics, yet acknowledges its foundational role in our digital age.
Quantum computing transcends classical computing’s linear processing, tackling multiple problems concurrently, outpacing even the most advanced classical systems in speed and power.
To visualize the difference, picture a classical choir of 30 singers—sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses—each contributing a unique note to a harmonious whole. This is akin to 30 PCs networked together. Now, imagine a single singer replicating the entire choir’s range and harmony. This humanly impossible feat mirrors the potential of a quantum computer.
Quantum computing promises unparalleled efficiency and effectiveness, poised to tackle complex challenges beyond the reach of classical computing. From new drug discovery and materials science to financial modeling, weather forecasting, logistics, and unraveling the intricacies of human biology, QC stands at the threshold of a new era.
Let’s delve into one specific field primed for a quantum revolution: the management and optimization of electricity grids.
Electricity Grids Need to Get Smart
In our contemporary world, the expectation of instant electricity is a given. The flick of a switch eliminates darkness, proof of the reliability of electricity grids operating seamlessly around us. While occasional brownouts or blackouts remind us of the grid’s presence, our daily lives largely depend on its unceasing flow of power.
People who manage electricity grids are beginning to sweat, operating what is often said to be “the most complex machine ever built.” This MIT Technology Review article goes on to say: “Because the grid is so vast, it is impossible for any one person to fully grasp everything happening within it at a given moment, let alone predict what will happen later.”
In the past, energy providers created electricity only from fossil fuels, which are easy to store and covert to electricity as needed. The times energy is needed has been fairly predictable due to the daily rhythms of life and work, as well as the seasonal changes in temperature.
But the landscape is shifting dramatically. The surge in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy sources is upending conventional forecasting models, introducing unprecedented variables into the grid’s operation. EVs, rapidly proliferating worldwide, are significantly hiking electricity demand. Simultaneously, renewable energy, increasingly a substantial contributor to global energy needs, presents a challenge with its dependency on the fluctuating nature of nature: sunshine and wind.
Moreover, the energy paradigm is shifting towards a more distributed model. Companies and households are not only consuming energy but also producing it through solar panels, poised to join a complex, interconnected energy network where excess power can be shared or sold.
The future promises further transformation as advancements in battery technology make energy storage more feasible, reducing reliance on centralized grids. EVs themselves could become mobile energy reservoirs, supplying power to homes when idle.
This evolving landscape presents a daunting challenge for electricity grids: the need to dynamically optimize in real-time, considering a multitude of factors including consumer demand, energy costs, weather patterns, renewable energy generation, off-grid storage, and a burgeoning peer-to-peer (P2P) energy network. Power grid operators are grappling with the monumental task of accurately predicting energy needs to prevent prolonged blackouts.
As energy systems expert, Fengqi You said, “energy power system failures are an old problem and we are still using classic computational methods to resolve them. Today’s power systems can benefit from AI and the computational power of quantum computing, so power systems can be stable and reliable.”
Quantum Computing will enable the emergence of smart grids capable of managing the increasing complexity of today’s energy generation and delivery systems.
Scottie the QC
In the 1986 film “Star Trek: The Voyage Home,” Scottie, the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise from the 23rd century, finds himself in the 20th century. In a pivotal scene, the crew needs to construct a massive container capable of holding two humpback whales and a significant volume of ocean water to save the world. However, the technology of the 20th century falls short.
Faced with the challenge of creating a 60ft by 10ft container to endure the pressure of 18,000 cubic feet of water and two whales, Scottie consults Dr. Nichols, a plastics company owner. Dr. Nichols suggests 6-inch plexiglass, but Scottie insists on a one-inch thickness, a feat deemed impossible with contemporary materials. Undeterred, Scottie uses his advanced knowledge to design the molecular structure of a then-fictional material: transparent aluminum, effortlessly doing so on a Mac.
In the context of today’s advancements, Scottie represents the potential of Quantum Computing (QC). Just as he introduced a groundbreaking material, QC promises to unlock unprecedented innovations and insights, reshaping our understanding and capabilities in ways we are only beginning to imagine.
ARTICLE FAQS
1. What makes quantum computing different from classical computing?
Classical computers process information in bits—0s and 1s—while quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states at once through a principle called superposition. This allows them to explore many possible solutions simultaneously, making them vastly more powerful for certain types of problems.
2. Why is quantum computing important now?
Many of today’s challenges—such as drug discovery, climate modeling, financial risk analysis, and energy optimization—are too complex for classical computers to solve efficiently. Quantum computing offers a new level of computational power that could tackle these problems in ways traditional systems cannot.
3. How does quantum computing relate to electricity grids?
Electricity grids are becoming harder to manage due to rising demand from electric vehicles, the variability of renewable energy, and the shift to distributed energy sources like home solar panels. Quantum computing could help grid operators optimize in real time across countless variables, making grids more resilient and efficient.
4. Why are today’s grids reaching their limits?
Grids were originally designed around predictable demand and centralized fossil fuel generation. The introduction of renewables, storage, and EVs introduces far more uncertainty, requiring sophisticated forecasting and optimization that exceeds what classical computational methods can handle.
5. What is the potential long-term impact of quantum computing?
If realized at scale, quantum computing could revolutionize industries, make smart grids reliable, accelerate clean energy transitions, and solve problems once thought intractable. It is not just a faster computer, but a fundamentally different way of unlocking new scientific and technological breakthroughs.
