3 ms·

It seems pretty dependant on where you draw the line. If we have quantum-computers in the near-future, did this come from "general" science, or the development/

• TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
  That depends on how different they are. There are different kinds of invention, and they're not interchangeable - in the philosophical sense of how much new creative and physical space they open up for exploration. Modern computing is qualitatively different to a 17th century calculating mechanism like Napier's Bones. It doesn't just do the same thing but faster, it does a lot more besides, and it creates social, political, and economic effects that extend far beyond the physics and math involved in construction and programming. QC will probably be similar. It's too early to tell what the qualitative changes will be, but QC's place on the developmental tree of technology will depend on how unexpected and extreme they are, and not just on how hard it is to get to a useful number of cubits.