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China has revealed its economic roadmap for the next few years, and among the government's most aggressive objectives feature some significant breakthroughs in quantum technologies – which, if they are achieved, would firmly establish the nation as a leading quantum superpower. This year marks the start of China's 14th five-year plan, which sets goals and strategies for developing the country's economy up until 2025. Drafted in collaboration with the government's official political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Quantum scientist Pan Jianwei, who is a member of the CPPCC, said that the plan includes "major national scientific and technological projects in frontier fields including quantum information technology." Quantum Computing Quantum computers are coming. Get ready for them to change everything What is quantum computing today? The how, why, and when of a paradigm shift Quantum supremacy 'milestone' achieved by … [Read more...] about Quantum computing, networks, satellites, and lots more qubits: China reveals ambitious goals in five-year plan

As part of a federal review process for its plans in South Texas, details of SpaceX's proposed spaceport have been made public. They were posted late last week in a public notice from the US Army Corps of engineers, which is soliciting public comments on the changes. Further Reading Starship goes up. Starship goes down. But is the program moving forward? Most notably, the new documents include a detailed architectural drawing of the multi-acre site at the southern tip of Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. The major hardware that exists or will be built includes: Two orbital launch pads, one of which is already under constriction Two suborbital launch pads, one of which already exists Two landing pads, one of which already exists Two structural test stands for Starship and the Super Heavy booster A large "tank farm" to provide ground support equipment for orbital flights A permanent position for the totemic "Starhopper" vehicle at the site's entrance What … [Read more...] about SpaceX reveals the grand extent of its starport plans in South Texas

Quantum computers are coming Watch Now As an editor, I often gave my writers this admonition: Never promise something without having established at least one feasible means of delivery. A promise should never be something to which one resorts in the absence of reason, otherwise every marriage would be predicated upon perjury. As a writer, I've learned to omit the word "promise" from my commitments, because editors tend to interpret "I promise" more as a statement of desperation than commitment. It is in that context that we can confidently assert quantum computing has an abundance of promises . If it ends up working, QC will enable the class of large, complex matrix calculations that comprise the bulk of machine learning work, to be executed in moments rather than days, or moments rather than years — or, with enough data in hand, moments rather than centuries. There is a weirdness in physics that we don't really comprehend, but maybe we don't have to comprehend it … [Read more...] about Is quantum computing worth the leaps of faith? [Status Report]

This week, the head of the Federal Communications Commission and a Republican US senator each called net neutrality a "slogan" that solves no real problems, with the senator also arguing that the Internet should have paid fast lanes. "It’s a great slogan," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, when asked by a radio host what net neutrality is. "But in reality what it involves is Internet regulation, and the basic question is, 'Do you want the government deciding how the Internet is run?'" Further Reading Net neutrality hurts health care and helps porn, Republican senator claims Pai, who is touring midwestern states to meet with rural ISPs about broadband deployment, appeared with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee on Monday. You can listen to the interview here (hat tip to Stop the Cap ). "As chairman Pai said, net neutrality is a slogan," Johnson said. "What you really want is an expansion of high-speed broadband, and in order to do that you have to … [Read more...] about The Internet needs paid fast lanes, anti-net neutrality senator says

Tesla is best known as an electric car company, but the firm also has a thriving business in battery storage—including utility-scale battery installations to support the electric grid. Bloomberg reports that Tesla is currently building a battery installation in Tesla CEO Elon Musk's new home state of Texas. The project is in Angleton, about an hour south of Houston. Tesla hasn't publicized the project, which is operating under the name of an obscure Tesla subsidiary called Gambit Energy Storage LLC. When a Bloomberg photographer visited, a worker discouraged picture-taking and said the project was "secretive." The project appears to consist of 20 large banks of batteries that have been covered by white sheets. A document on the city of Angleton's website provides some details about the project. It's listed as being a project of Plus Power but includes a photo of a Tesla battery cabinet. Plus Power counts two former Tesla employees among its executives. Plus confirmed to … [Read more...] about Report: Tesla is secretly building a giant 100 MW battery in Texas