Ever wondered if the multiverse theory could be more than just a sci-fi idea? Google's latest announcement about its quantum chip, Willow, might just have us one step closer to that mind-boggling concept.
Google's Willow chip has made two groundbreaking advancements.
The first achievement is about tackling a huge problem in quantum computing: error correction.
Ever wondered if the multiverse theory could be more than just a sci-fi idea? Google’s latest announcement about its quantum chip, Willow, might just have us one step closer to that mind-boggling concept. The chip has shown us how quantum computing could push the boundaries of what’s possible, offering incredible new insights into the universe itself.
Google’s Willow chip has made two groundbreaking advancements that are making waves in the tech world. The first achievement is about tackling a huge problem in quantum computing: error correction. As quantum computers use qubits to perform calculations, they’re highly sensitive and prone to errors. But with Willow, Google has achieved a remarkable feat—reducing errors exponentially as the system scales up.
“We achieved an exponential reduction in the error rate. This historic accomplishment is known in the field as ‘below threshold’ — being able to drive errors down while scaling up the number of qubits. You must demonstrate being below threshold to show real progress on error correction, and this has been an outstanding challenge since quantum error correction was introduced by Peter Shor in 1995,” Google said.
The second breakthrough is equally impressive. Willow completed a complex computation in under five minutes, a task that would take the fastest supercomputers today 10 septillion (that’s 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) years.
“Willow’s performance on this benchmark is astonishing: It performed a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 1025 or 10 septillion years. If you want to write it out, it’s 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. This mind-boggling number exceeds known timescales in physics and vastly exceeds the age of the universe. It lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by David Deutsch,” the tech giant said.
Also read: Google unveils quantum computing chip Willow and even Elon Musk is impressed
But Willow’s achievements don’t end there. Google is now focused on making quantum computing not just a theoretical marvel but a practical tool that can tackle real-world problems. The ultimate goal is to run “useful, beyond-classical” computations—something that classical computers simply can’t do.
In short, Willow is taking us closer to a future where quantum computers can help solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time, opening the door to advancements we never thought possible. The multiverse might not be as far off as we once thought.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
