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🗿 So Google accidentally found the multiverse

TLDR: AI + quantum is a scary combo and we're just getting started.

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Jared @ Supernova
December 13, 2024

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GM. In this week’s race to make sci-fi real, Google thinks it may have discovered the multiverse. Ik - I think they probably just had too many cold brews too.

Crazy or not, their new quantum chip Willow is apparently so powerful that some believe it may have borrowed computation power from parallel universes.

Without Further Ado. ☕ *knuckle cracks* ☕ Let’s get into it.

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Hartmut Neven, head of Google Quantum AI, is the alleged caffeine addict who spilled the quantum tea, saying Willow completed a task in five minutes that would take the fastest supercomputer 10 septillion years.

For perspective: the universe is only about 13.8 billion years old. So, Google basically dunked on reality itself.

Neven went on to suggest that this "beyond belief" performance could support the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics — meaning every possible outcome of a quantum event happens in a separate, parallel universe.

What’s a quantum chip, you ask?

For the uninitiated, quantum computers don’t work like your laptop. Instead of using regular bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits, which can be 0, 1, or both at once, thanks to the mind-bending principles of quantum mechanics.

They also leverage entanglement, a spooky connection between particles that lets them work together no matter how far apart.

In short, they’re fast, weird, and fragile — like an MLB pitcher getting a paper cut and immediately needing a week off.

Quantum systems are prone to errors because qubits are easily disturbed by their environment. Willow, however, breaks this pattern. According to Google’s Neven, Willow reduces errors as you add more qubits, signifying a leap forward in scalability for quantum systems.

The multiverse Morty!!!

Neven’s multiverse claim isn’t totally out of nowhere. The many-worlds interpretation, first proposed by physicist David Deutsch, suggests quantum events branch into multiple realities.

If Willow’s performance is tapping into that, it could mean quantum computing isn’t just operating on one plane of existence — but many at once.

Neven himself wrote: “Willow’s performance lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes.”

Bold? Yes. Groundbreaking? Definitely. But is it true?

The skeptic POV

Not everyone’s onboard the hype train. Critics like physicist Sabine Hossenfelder are rolling their eyes. The computation Willow performed, called random circuit sampling, is more like a quantum party trick than a practical breakthrough. In Hossenfelder’s words: “The result has no practical use.”

And let’s not forget Google’s earlier claim to quantum supremacy in 2019, which IBM later contested, showing that classical computers could replicate the same results under specific conditions.

So, is Willow a true leap forward or just another flashy benchmark? The jury’s still out.

What’s next in the Quantum Race?

Even if parallel universes remain in the realm of theory, Willow’s success cements Google’s lead in the quantum arms race.

Tech giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon are all competing to develop quantum systems capable of solving real-world problems — think: discovering new drugs, revolutionizing energy solutions, and even building unhackable cybersecurity systems.

Meanwhile, Willow’s debut sent Google’s stock up by over 5%, proving it’s already having a real impact… in this universe, at least.

Bottom line

Is Google unlocking the secrets of the multiverse or just flexing its quantum muscles? Too soon to tell, prob the latter.

Either way, Willow is a big deal for quantum computing and a potential peek into what’s next in tech. Practical breakthroughs and “look at how fast we are” aside, one thing’s certain: the future is quantum.

Maybe, in another universe, you're reading a slightly different version of this newsletter.

What we’re reading this week

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