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When will quantum computing deliver on its promise? - NPR
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Major tech firms and governments invested heavily in quantum computing in 2025, with Google and Microsoft leading private-sector efforts alongside U.S. federal prioritization under the Trump administration.
Experts like University of Chicago’s Bill Fefferman note progress but caution no quantum experiment has yet solved a provably hard, societally useful problem, leaving practical applications uncertain.
Google claims 2019’s Sycamore chip achieved quantum supremacy—solving a task in minutes that would take supercomputers 10,000 years—though IBM disputed this, highlighting ongoing debates over benchmarks.
Potential breakthroughs in drug discovery, clean energy, and materials science drive hype, but current prototypes remain bulky, error-prone, and require extreme cooling, limiting real-world use.
Scientists emphasize quantum computing’s progress as incremental, with timelines for transformative impact ranging from decades to a century, stressing the field’s experimental nature.
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Technology When will quantum computing deliver on its promise? December 25, 20255:17 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered By Katia Riddle When will quantum computing deliver on its promise? Listen· 5:445-Minute ListenPlaylist Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed