Quantum computing and programming get easier

[CuttingEdge100]

DiSiLLUSiON,

Well that's why I said "reasonably speaking". I don't think an endless evaluation would be a good idea either.


CuttingEdge100

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Yes, of course. But things like these are already evaluated in a sense. Where would you draw the line then?

 

[Lindley]

The real problem is that those discoveries most ripe for abuse also tend to be the most genuinely useful.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

DiSiLLUSiON,

What would you consider a good evaluation period?


Lindley,

Sometimes that is true. There are things that have little purpose other than for abuse though. I am not going to say that Quantum computing is only useful for abusive purposes, it's not, but there are certain technological applications that do have little purpose other than for abuse.

 

[Deks]

That still isn't a compelling argument to avoid development of those technologies.
Problem is on how to implement those technologies.
If you go by numerous people on this board alone, right now, there is a mindset present that implies numerous techs would be tried used for betterment of our society.

If you take a look at the government for example and rich people in power, then yes I agree that some techs that were specifically designed for 'abusive purpose' will be utilized as such.

Abuse of technology can be interpreted in many ways though ... such as rich people and government having access to about a decade or more advanced tech while the general population has to make due with what is given to them.

Right now though, I don't even think we reached a proper early 21st century development stage.
Numerous technological development and scientific research went under because of nothing other than money and people in power who don't want to encourage new technologies being implemented.
Money is at the core of our problems. It always was, and technological/scientific growth will continue to suffer because of this (let's not even go into the debate on how religious individuals in power who have poor understanding of technology also are a factor).

We live in the early 21st century and we still have rampaging diseases and poverty.
Don't tell me it's beyond our ability to solve these issues, because it's not.
We have not just the resources but also technology (such as it is) to do so.

The prospect of quantum computers is excellent ... although I'm afraid it will be a while until we see them fully realized.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

DiSiLLUSiON,

What would you consider a good evaluation period?

I'm not the one to judge on that; it wholly depends on the type of technology we're talking about.

However, my point was, that no matter how much you evaluate advances, any advance that has the potential for a lot of good uses will also have the potential for a lot of bad uses. So, in the end, all we can do is hope that we don't misuse that power. If we do, we're dead. We've been there from the moment we developed nukes; Pandora's box has been opened. And any lengthening of the evaluation will only delay the inevitable; that we'll use the technology either for good or bad. No matter what it's used for, trying to delay isn't likely to change the minds of the people involved.

As such, is it not the best way to simply advance as fast as we (reasonably) can? All we can hope is that society advances on the same pace.