Quantum Supremacy Understanding The Next Era Of Computing

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 12:25 PM

quantum supremacy understanding the next era of computing

How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything MICHIO KAKU is a professor of physics at the City University of New York, cofounder of string field theory, and the author of several widely acclaimed science books, including Hyperspace, Beyond Einstein, Physics of... He is the science correspondent for CBS’s This Morning and host of the radio programs Science Fantastic and Explorations in Science.

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Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we’re suddenly living in the quantum era. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Spend an afternoon reading about quantum computing, and it won’t take long until you stumble across the term “quantum supremacy.” While this is quite a lofty-sounding boast, the idea is relatively simple: If a...

Google first tried to claim the supremacy crown back in 2019, and researchers in China argued the same a year later. But in both cases, experts weren’t so sure if true supremacy had been achieved. In Google’s case, its Sycamore quantum computer completed a task in three minutes and 20 seconds that the company said would take a classical computer 10,000 years to complete. In quantum computing, quantum supremacy or quantum advantage is the goal of demonstrating that a programmable quantum computer can solve a problem that no classical computer can solve in any feasible amount of time,... Conceptually, quantum supremacy involves both the engineering task of building a powerful quantum computer and the computational-complexity-theoretic task of finding a problem that can be solved by that quantum computer and has a superpolynomial... Examples of proposals to demonstrate quantum supremacy include the boson sampling proposal of Aaronson and Arkhipov,[9] and sampling the output of random quantum circuits.[10][11] The output distributions that are obtained by making measurements in...

For this conclusion to be valid, only very mild assumptions in the theory of computational complexity have to be invoked. In this sense, quantum random sampling schemes can have the potential to show quantum supremacy.[12] A notable property of quantum supremacy is that it can be feasibly achieved by near-term quantum computers,[4] since it does not require a quantum computer to perform any useful task[13] or use high-quality quantum... In 1936, Alan Turing published his paper, "On Computable Numbers",[18] in response to the 1900 Hilbert Problems. Turing's paper described what he called a "universal computing machine", which later became known as a Turing machine. In 1980, Paul Benioff used Turing's paper to propose the theoretical feasibility of Quantum Computing.

His paper, "The Computer as a Physical System: A Microscopic Quantum Mechanical Hamiltonian Model of Computers as Represented by Turing Machines",[19] was the first to demonstrate that it is possible to show the reversible... In 1981, Richard Feynman showed that quantum mechanics could not be efficiently simulated on classical devices.[20] During a lecture, he delivered the famous quote, "Nature isn't classical, dammit, and if you want to make... For decades, Moore’s Law has guided the exponential growth of computing power. But as silicon chips reach the limits of physical scalability, a new chapter in computational innovation is being written—one that doesn’t just accelerate performance, but redefines what’s computationally possible. Welcome to the era of Quantum Supremacy. Quantum supremacy marks the point where a quantum computer outperforms the best classical supercomputers for a specific task.

This isn’t about replacing classical machines just yet, but it is about showcasing a leap—proving that quantum processors can do what traditional systems simply cannot. In one pivotal experiment, a quantum processor completed a complex computation in 200 seconds—a task that would have taken the fastest classical supercomputer 10,000 years. That moment wasn’t just a milestone; it was the birth of a new paradigm. Unlike classical bits, which are binary (0 or 1), qubits operate in superposition, existing in multiple states simultaneously. When combined with entanglement and quantum interference, quantum computers can explore vast solution spaces in parallel—solving certain problems exponentially faster than any classical algorithm. Explore the paradigm-shifting potential of quantum computing with Michio Kaku's 'Quantum Supremacy'.

In the realm of technology, time hurtles forward, bringing with it leaps that were once the stuff of unfettered imagination. Michio Kaku's Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything thrusts us into one such leap—a quantum leap, if you will. This book is not just a glimpse into the future; it is the dawning realization that the future is now. But why should you, a curious mind or a seasoned tech aficionado, care about quantum computing? Because quantum supremacy isn't just a technological tide; it's a tsunami reconfiguring the very fabric of how we understand computation. Unpacking the complexities of quantum computing, Kaku paints a picture as vivid as a Van Gogh—yet grounded in rigorous science.

Quantum Supremacy isn't a speculative what-if linked to fabled black boxes and Sci-Fi narrations—it's a tangible shift waiting to unfold across industries. Consider this: while traditional computers use bits (a binary system of 0s and 1s), quantum computers leverage qubits. This layered capacity means exponentially more power—solving equations that could stymie our current tech for millennia. From cracking encrypted messages faster than you can say "codebreaker" to revolutionizing pharmaceuticals through molecular simulations, the opportunities blooming from quantum supremacy are endless. In 2025, governments and technology companies continue to invest heavily in quantum computing, motivated by the vision of building machines capable of processing problems far beyond the reach of classical computers. From drug development to clean energy optimization, the promise of quantum computing lies in solving complex, multi-dimensional problems at unprecedented speeds.

Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and IBM, as well as governmental initiatives, are channeling significant resources into quantum hardware and algorithm research. Yet, while the progress is impressive, practical, everyday applications for the general public remain elusive. The challenge lies in the inherent complexity of quantum mechanics. Unlike traditional computers operating in binary states, quantum computers leverage qubits, which exist in superposition—a combination of multiple states simultaneously. This ability to represent a range of possibilities enables quantum computers to simulate complex natural processes more effectively than classical machines. To understand the power of quantum computing, one must grasp the principle of superposition.

Classical computers process information in a binary fashion—zeroes and ones, on and off. In contrast, qubits can represent zero and one simultaneously, existing in a probabilistic state until measured. This characteristic allows quantum computers to evaluate multiple solutions concurrently, simulating complex molecular interactions and probabilistic systems found in nature. Educators like Dominic Walliman have used simplified analogies to illustrate this concept: envisioning a particle spinning in both directions at once, creating a cloud of probabilities rather than a fixed state. This visualization underscores why quantum systems have the theoretical potential to outperform classical systems in certain computations, especially those involving intricate variables, such as chemical reactions or material simulations. One of the landmark milestones in quantum computing is quantum supremacy, a term describing when a quantum computer performs a calculation that a classical computer cannot complete in a feasible time frame.

Google achieved this in 2019 with its Sycamore processor, which solved a complex random circuit sampling benchmark in minutes—a task that would take the world’s fastest classical supercomputer thousands of years. Imagine a computer that could solve incredibly complex problems at a speed we can't yet fathom and bring about breakthroughs in fields like drug development or clean energy. That is widely considered the promise of quantum computing. In 2025, tech companies poured money into this field. The Trump administration also named quantum computing as a priority. But when will this technology actually deliver something useful for regular people?

NPR's Katia Riddle reports on the difference between quantum hype and quantum reality. KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE: Tech companies like Google and Microsoft, as well as the U.S. government, bet big on quantum computing in 2025. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Google Quantum AI is unveiling the first demonstration of verifiable quantum advantage. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Joining forces on quantum computing. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Creating an entirely new architecture for quantum computing.

Quantum Supremacy Understanding The Next Era Of Computing

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For This Conclusion To Be Valid, Only Very Mild Assumptions