March 1, 2014

1 min read

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Book Review: Computing with Quantum Cats

Reviews and recommendations from Scientific American

By Clara Moskowitz

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Computing with Quantum Cats: From Colossus to Qubits
by John Gribbin
Prometheus Books, 2014 ($28.95)

“Within a decade the computer world will be turned upside down” by quantum computers, predicts science journalist Gribbin in Computing with Quantum Cats. Today such devices can solve only simple problems and face significant technological challenges. But Gribbin and other proponents of the field see a bright future for machines that are based on the principles of quantum mechanics, particularly the spooky ability of particles to be in multiple states at the same time. These computers should be able to perform calculations many times faster than conventional computers do—if the bugs can be worked out. Gribbin entertainingly illustrates the history of computers, the great minds who have contributed to the field, and what may be in store if quantum computers can fulfill their promise. At the top of the list is cryptography, which stands to be revolutionized if quantum computing can deliver the ability to crack previously unbreakable codes.

Clara Moskowitz is chief of reporters at Scientific American, where she covers astronomy, space, physics and mathematics. She has been at Scientific American for more than a decade; previously she worked at Space.com. Moskowitz has reported live from rocket launches, space shuttle liftoffs and landings, suborbital spaceflight training, mountaintop observatories, and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University and a graduate degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

More by Clara Moskowitz
Scientific American Magazine Vol 310 Issue 3This article was published with the title “Computing with Quantum Cats” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 310 No. 3 (), p. 80
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0314-80b
View This Issue

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe