4 ms·

Quantum cryptography is unbreakable. So is human ingenuity

31 points by hownottowrite 10y ago

Xcelerate 10y ago
What's interesting is that we have finally pushed "unbreakable" cryptography into a curious situation: either quantum cryptography is truly unbreakable or our understanding of physics is wrong in some drastically fundamental way (okay... or the less likely third scenario that the proof of unbreakability is flawed in some subtle way). Regardless of whether option 1 or 2 is the case, it's incredibly exciting either way. Eventually we'll have unbreakable crypto or a new paradigm shift in physics.
- dsacco 10y ago
  The less likely scenario you speak of is the actual scenario.
endorphone 10y ago
I have tried to withhold negativity online generally, to good effect, however I have to make an exception in this case: This article is somewhat fluffy and of limited value. I make an exception because I really like Aeon, and whenever a fluffy article makes it to the front page invariably it leads to commentators criticizing Aeon as "pseudo-intellectual", etc. To offset this I've submitted a fantastic recent article on "Our Quantum Problem" - https://aeon.co/essays/what-really-happens-in-schrodinger-s-box https://aeon.co/essays/what-really-happens-in-schrodinger-s-...
- Zigurd 10y ago
  "Value" these days is calculated by social media and search engine algorithms. The article hits all the right topics, even if they don't cohere.
  - dsacco 10y ago
    I usually shy away from saying things like this, but what you speak of is a really great way to ensure class rulership. An educated elite that manufactures information algorithmically tuned to get views with no regard for the accuracy of the information. What a sad feedback loop.
    - Zigurd 10y ago
      I did not say it was a good thing. Just explanatory. Now we get word salad from the president, and 40% of the people are fine with that.
ctz 10y ago
Quantum cryptography is not unbreakable. See, for example: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1106.3224.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1106.3224.pdf (Insert usual quote about the difference between theory and practice.)
- dsacco 10y ago
  It's really disheartening to see the media proclaim things like "quantum cryptography is unbreakable" with fundamental misunderstandings about what it even is, how it works and what its limitations are.
dsacco 10y ago
I'm not really sure what the point of this was. First of all, it's titular claim is incorrect - quantum cryptography is not "unbreakable" (and nor does that claim entirely make sense given how mature entire quantum cryptosystems are)[1]. Components like quantum key distribution are reasonably well-studied and do provide an information-theoretically secure solution for key exchange...but that is one component of successfully secured communication. The article starts off pretty strong with a reasonably accurate exploration into how public-key crypto was invented in the 70s, and how quantum computers could eliminate the RSA problem. But then it veers into this weird territory about the government wanting to control crypto, and proceeds to talk about criminals and terrorists typically misusing otherwise strong crypto. I'm not sure how we ended up there... It goes on like that, then just sort of ends with this vague point about human ingenuity. It seems like Aeon just wanted to write a headline with the words "quantum" and "cryptography." It's really short and didn't make any interesting point, in my opinion. _____________ 1. Scott Aaronson is a reasonable place to start reading about quantum information theory/computing, and its implications for quantum cryptography in general. Try http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2673 http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2673 instead of breathless reporting.
- _jal 10y ago
  Yeah, the article feels like someone had a rambling conversation with a crypto nerd in a coffee house, ranging from how things work to recent crypto-politics, and then tossed off an article later. I say that because I've had those conversations myself - it is hard to explain much crypto-related without getting in to politics, because politics has shaped modern crypto. But then you've just explained a lot of dense history, politics and math in a bundle, and confused the heck out of someone. Not only because it is dense, but because far more people think they understand something about crypto than actually do. (This includes me.)
- ahelwer 10y ago
  I read his book Quantum Computing Since Democritus and got stuck early on where it actually starts getting into quantum computing. IMO the book is great when you already vaguely understand the material (so I coasted through the early chapters on set theory, computability, and complexity) but hit a wall just past the point where he introduces 2-norm. Anyone else have this issue? Can you understand quantum computing without understanding quantum mechanics?

31 points by hownottowrite 10y ago

What's interesting is that we have finally pushed "unbreakable" cryptography into a curious situation: either quantum cryptography is truly unbreakable or our understanding of physics is wrong in some drastically fundamental way (okay... or the less likely third scenario that the proof of unbreakability is flawed in some subtle way). Regardless of whether option 1 or 2 is the case, it's incredibly exciting either way. Eventually we'll have unbreakable crypto or a new paradigm shift in physics.

dsacco 10y ago
The less likely scenario you speak of is the actual scenario.

endorphone 10y ago

I have tried to withhold negativity online generally, to good effect, however I have to make an exception in this case: This article is somewhat fluffy and of limited value. I make an exception because I really like Aeon, and whenever a fluffy article makes it to the front page invariably it leads to commentators criticizing Aeon as "pseudo-intellectual", etc. To offset this I've submitted a fantastic recent article on "Our Quantum Problem" - https://aeon.co/essays/what-really-happens-in-schrodinger-s-box https://aeon.co/essays/what-really-happens-in-schrodinger-s-...

Zigurd 10y ago
"Value" these days is calculated by social media and search engine algorithms. The article hits all the right topics, even if they don't cohere.
- dsacco 10y ago
  I usually shy away from saying things like this, but what you speak of is a really great way to ensure class rulership. An educated elite that manufactures information algorithmically tuned to get views with no regard for the accuracy of the information. What a sad feedback loop.
  - Zigurd 10y ago
    I did not say it was a good thing. Just explanatory. Now we get word salad from the president, and 40% of the people are fine with that.

ctz 10y ago

Quantum cryptography is not unbreakable. See, for example: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1106.3224.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1106.3224.pdf (Insert usual quote about the difference between theory and practice.)

dsacco 10y ago
It's really disheartening to see the media proclaim things like "quantum cryptography is unbreakable" with fundamental misunderstandings about what it even is, how it works and what its limitations are.

dsacco 10y ago

I'm not really sure what the point of this was. First of all, it's titular claim is incorrect - quantum cryptography is not "unbreakable" (and nor does that claim entirely make sense given how mature entire quantum cryptosystems are)[1]. Components like quantum key distribution are reasonably well-studied and do provide an information-theoretically secure solution for key exchange...but that is one component of successfully secured communication. The article starts off pretty strong with a reasonably accurate exploration into how public-key crypto was invented in the 70s, and how quantum computers could eliminate the RSA problem. But then it veers into this weird territory about the government wanting to control crypto, and proceeds to talk about criminals and terrorists typically misusing otherwise strong crypto. I'm not sure how we ended up there... It goes on like that, then just sort of ends with this vague point about human ingenuity. It seems like Aeon just wanted to write a headline with the words "quantum" and "cryptography." It's really short and didn't make any interesting point, in my opinion. _____________ 1. Scott Aaronson is a reasonable place to start reading about quantum information theory/computing, and its implications for quantum cryptography in general. Try http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2673 http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2673 instead of breathless reporting.

_jal 10y ago
Yeah, the article feels like someone had a rambling conversation with a crypto nerd in a coffee house, ranging from how things work to recent crypto-politics, and then tossed off an article later. I say that because I've had those conversations myself - it is hard to explain much crypto-related without getting in to politics, because politics has shaped modern crypto. But then you've just explained a lot of dense history, politics and math in a bundle, and confused the heck out of someone. Not only because it is dense, but because far more people think they understand something about crypto than actually do. (This includes me.)
ahelwer 10y ago
I read his book Quantum Computing Since Democritus and got stuck early on where it actually starts getting into quantum computing. IMO the book is great when you already vaguely understand the material (so I coasted through the early chapters on set theory, computability, and complexity) but hit a wall just past the point where he introduces 2-norm. Anyone else have this issue? Can you understand quantum computing without understanding quantum mechanics?