4 ms·

Quantego: A Family of Lego Models of IBM Quantum Computers

69 points by rbanffy 3mo ago

ktallett 3mo ago
These are all just models of the cryostats and classical computer interfaces used to cool and read out from the quantum computing devices. These are not the quantum computing devices themselves. (Before anyone starts. Yes, the read out is essential, but room temperature devices are coming to the forefront now so no the cryostat is not a compulsory part of the QC setup.) I saw a tour take place at my facility whereby a man pointed at an empty cryostat and said "Wow, a quantum computer". None of us had the heart to tell him otherwise.
- inigyou 3mo ago
  The cryostat is the most visually impressive part, to be fair. That's the cool chandelier looking thing, for anyone reading. It's a multi-stage cooler and the actual computer mounts to the bottom. I think the reason it's upside-down is that the liquid phase of the refrigerant medium is the cold part, and gravity holds it where it needs to be. They could probably engineer one that works in any orientation but there's no reason to.
  - rbanffy 3mo ago
    IBM’s Quantum System One was a marvel of design exploiting the cryostat in a mirrored container. An absolutely impressive piece of hardware.
- boothby 3mo ago
  As somebody involved in the design of quantum computers (specifically, the architecture of the circuitry on the microchip), you're technically correct. But you're also so wrong. The best lego model of a microchip is the piece #4211415. The cryostat is the cool part (pun intended) that people want to build models of.
erk__ 3mo ago
Interestingly IBM have made LEGO sets of various mainframes. I believe that they have been giving them away as prizes and such, there is also a few other companies with LEGO sets listed on the page as well: https://domjant.hu/bricks/ https://domjant.hu/bricks/
- OGWhales 3mo ago
  Super cool! What a great page.
quantumfraud 3mo ago
[flagged]
- ktallett 3mo ago
  I would be curious to hear your reasoning behind such a strong view. If you have an email address, happy to hear them privately. I work in the field to some extent, although more closely on photonic computing, and would agree there is a majority of snake oil in the field. Yet that's the case with any field above a certain size that has recently become the latest buzzword. Just look at AI. There most certainly are people with valuable contributions in the field, that will eventually change how we are able to analyse the world around us. We are a long way from that but these steps are the start to the end goal in 10's of years from now. Whether you are considered a "scammer", greatly depends on what side of it. I do feel there are people who are scammers in the field, as well as people who aren't smart enough to realise how unrealistic their plan is, who are then funded by people even less qualified to state how unrealistic the plan is. Basically, a Theranos situation again. Again, this also applies to so many other companies including AI.
  - quantumfraud 3mo ago
    just move into silicon photonics. tons of potential there. the claims that there will be sudden jumps by orders of magnitude in computing power are damaging to the trust in cryptography and divert attention from the real work that moves the fields of semiconductors and cryptography forwards. it is arrogant towards the people that create real value because it frames the real tech as obsolete. i see everyone involved in this pseudoscientific scam industry as the enemy. The credibility of this field and everyone involved will only drop from here.
    - ktallett 3mo ago
      Well yes but quantum computing and silicon photonics are not entirely separate fields. Photonic computing can still enable introduction of algorithms that utilise quantum properties. I would agree that some claims are lies or misguided, however yes with the right algorithmic processes, these devices can affect current security of cryptography one day. That doesn't mean their work was worthless but like everything, things progress. It's not obsolete, it's been built on. The industry shouldn't be fabricating claims but the industry that is honest of which there are many, do not need to protect other industries. Fabrication happens in every industry. Tech is only obsolete if you aren't inventive of how to repurpose it.
EagnaIonat 3mo ago
Shame there's no lego model with the dangly bits showing.
- rbanffy 3mo ago
  IBM has one for their newer quantum computers. It's not on this site though.
silentmafia 3mo ago
I guess these are the kind of updates we are getting on Quantum Computing these days ^^'
- mrbluecoat 3mo ago
  At least it's tangible progress :D
dolmen 3mo ago
Rendering of LEGO models built with Claude [1], using LDrawLoader [2] (from three.js). [1]: https://github.com/JanLahmann/Quantego/commits/main/assets/js/ldraw-viewer.js https://github.com/JanLahmann/Quantego/commits/main/assets/j... [2]: https://threejs.org/docs/#LDrawLoader https://threejs.org/docs/#LDrawLoader
amelius 3mo ago
Sounds like a bikeshedding project of some QC researcher.
stephen_cagle 3mo ago
[dead]
Fricken 3mo ago
Builder Andrew Eylar built the Red Room of the IBM building on king street in Lego, which I thought was cool: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoyvinmayvin/40487057474/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoyvinmayvin/40487057474/

69 points by rbanffy 3mo ago

These are all just models of the cryostats and classical computer interfaces used to cool and read out from the quantum computing devices. These are not the quantum computing devices themselves. (Before anyone starts. Yes, the read out is essential, but room temperature devices are coming to the forefront now so no the cryostat is not a compulsory part of the QC setup.) I saw a tour take place at my facility whereby a man pointed at an empty cryostat and said "Wow, a quantum computer". None of us had the heart to tell him otherwise.

inigyou 3mo ago
The cryostat is the most visually impressive part, to be fair. That's the cool chandelier looking thing, for anyone reading. It's a multi-stage cooler and the actual computer mounts to the bottom. I think the reason it's upside-down is that the liquid phase of the refrigerant medium is the cold part, and gravity holds it where it needs to be. They could probably engineer one that works in any orientation but there's no reason to.
- rbanffy 3mo ago
  IBM’s Quantum System One was a marvel of design exploiting the cryostat in a mirrored container. An absolutely impressive piece of hardware.
boothby 3mo ago
As somebody involved in the design of quantum computers (specifically, the architecture of the circuitry on the microchip), you're technically correct. But you're also so wrong. The best lego model of a microchip is the piece #4211415. The cryostat is the cool part (pun intended) that people want to build models of.

erk__ 3mo ago

Interestingly IBM have made LEGO sets of various mainframes. I believe that they have been giving them away as prizes and such, there is also a few other companies with LEGO sets listed on the page as well: https://domjant.hu/bricks/ https://domjant.hu/bricks/

OGWhales 3mo ago
Super cool! What a great page.

quantumfraud 3mo ago

[flagged]

ktallett 3mo ago
I would be curious to hear your reasoning behind such a strong view. If you have an email address, happy to hear them privately. I work in the field to some extent, although more closely on photonic computing, and would agree there is a majority of snake oil in the field. Yet that's the case with any field above a certain size that has recently become the latest buzzword. Just look at AI. There most certainly are people with valuable contributions in the field, that will eventually change how we are able to analyse the world around us. We are a long way from that but these steps are the start to the end goal in 10's of years from now. Whether you are considered a "scammer", greatly depends on what side of it. I do feel there are people who are scammers in the field, as well as people who aren't smart enough to realise how unrealistic their plan is, who are then funded by people even less qualified to state how unrealistic the plan is. Basically, a Theranos situation again. Again, this also applies to so many other companies including AI.
- quantumfraud 3mo ago
  just move into silicon photonics. tons of potential there. the claims that there will be sudden jumps by orders of magnitude in computing power are damaging to the trust in cryptography and divert attention from the real work that moves the fields of semiconductors and cryptography forwards. it is arrogant towards the people that create real value because it frames the real tech as obsolete. i see everyone involved in this pseudoscientific scam industry as the enemy. The credibility of this field and everyone involved will only drop from here.
  - ktallett 3mo ago
    Well yes but quantum computing and silicon photonics are not entirely separate fields. Photonic computing can still enable introduction of algorithms that utilise quantum properties. I would agree that some claims are lies or misguided, however yes with the right algorithmic processes, these devices can affect current security of cryptography one day. That doesn't mean their work was worthless but like everything, things progress. It's not obsolete, it's been built on. The industry shouldn't be fabricating claims but the industry that is honest of which there are many, do not need to protect other industries. Fabrication happens in every industry. Tech is only obsolete if you aren't inventive of how to repurpose it.

EagnaIonat 3mo ago

Shame there's no lego model with the dangly bits showing.

rbanffy 3mo ago
IBM has one for their newer quantum computers. It's not on this site though.

silentmafia 3mo ago

I guess these are the kind of updates we are getting on Quantum Computing these days ^^'

mrbluecoat 3mo ago
At least it's tangible progress :D

dolmen 3mo ago

Rendering of LEGO models built with Claude [1], using LDrawLoader [2] (from three.js). [1]: https://github.com/JanLahmann/Quantego/commits/main/assets/js/ldraw-viewer.js https://github.com/JanLahmann/Quantego/commits/main/assets/j... [2]: https://threejs.org/docs/#LDrawLoader https://threejs.org/docs/#LDrawLoader

amelius 3mo ago

Sounds like a bikeshedding project of some QC researcher.

stephen_cagle 3mo ago

[dead]

Fricken 3mo ago

Builder Andrew Eylar built the Red Room of the IBM building on king street in Lego, which I thought was cool: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoyvinmayvin/40487057474/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoyvinmayvin/40487057474/