No-frills tech news

Two Opposing <b>Quantum</b> Particles Could Form a Bizarre New Kind of Matter

Researchers predict that strongly interacting bosons and fermions can form stable quantum droplets that may be testable with current experiments. Two very different kinds of quantum particles may be able to join together in a stable form of matter that physicists once considered unlikely. Researchers at Monash University predict that ultracold bosons and fermions can combine under the right conditions to create self-bound “quantum droplets.” Bosons and fermions follow fundamentally different quantum rules, yet the new theoretical work indicates that strongly interacting mixtures of the two can remain bound together. The result challenges the long-held expectation that stable droplets would be difficult to form in strongly interacting Bose-Fermi systems. The prediction gives experimental physicists a new state of matter to search for and could improve understanding of quantum materials relevant to technologies ranging from ultra-precise sensors to quantum computing. Lead author and Monash PhD candidate Sam Foster from the School of Physics and Astronomy said the findings make it possible to investigate previously unexplored quantum states. “Quantum systems can behave in ways that seem impossible in our everyday world. We’ve shown that these two very different types of particles can balance each other perfectly to create a stable droplet that effectively holds itself together.” Quantum pressure prevents the droplets from collapsing A quantum droplet is held together differently from an ordinary liquid droplet. Here, attraction between the particles is balanced by pressure generated by the fermions, stopping the system from collapsing even as the particles bind together. Sam said the new theoretical framework addresses a long-standing limitation in describing these systems. “Previous theories could only describe these systems when the particles interacted relatively weakly. Our new approach lets us explore what happens when those interactions become much stronger, which is where the most interesting physics emerges.” Existing experiments could test

<b>Quantum</b> Progress: From The Lab To The Real World

Quantum technology is no longer a scientific curiosity confined to research laboratories. The Quantum Frontier Era has been firmly established by the advancements of the past few years, particularly the breakthroughs that have emerged in 2025 and 2026. Commercial platforms, logical qubits, error-correction techniques, quantum sensing systems, networking prototypes, photonic architectures, and hybrid quantum-classical systems are moving from theory to more practical use. The most significant advancement is not merely the expansion of quantum processors. It is that researchers are making progress on the much more challenging problem of ensuring the reliability, scalability, and utility of quantum information. In July 2026, IBM and University of Chicago researchers showcased a computation using 70 logical qubits, which they claimed met key benchmarks for quantum advantage, including performing a calculation that top classical simulations could not achieve and providing a way to validate the outcome. According to reports, the computation required approximately 15 minutes. Quantum computing will process data at unprecedented speeds, enabling breakthroughs to be completed in seconds that would have taken classical supercomputers centuries to achieve. This result does not imply that the era of general-purpose quantum computing has arrived. It does indicate that the discourse is evolving. The challenge of quantum computing is evolving from a purely physics challenge to one that increasingly emphasizes engineering and commercialization. The areas of economic competitiveness, national security, scientific discovery, and cybersecurity will feel the consequences. The quantum era has commenced. Please refer to my recent Forbes article: The Quantum Era Is Upon Us The Approaching Reality of Q-Day and Encryption The dual-edged nature of quantum computing is most evident in the field of cryptography. Shor’s algorithms will pose a threat to widely used public-key systems, such as RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography, if a quantum computer is sufficiently powerful and fault-tolerant. This instant, also

NIST And University Of Maryland Detail Autonomous <b>Quantum</b> Control

José Antonio Marín Guzmán of the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science, NIST and University of Maryland, and Nicole Yunger Halpern are leading a collaborative effort spanning institutions in Austria, Sweden, and Harvard to detail proposals for experimentally realizing quantum-autonomous gates. This research, published August 28, 2026, outlines potential implementations using Rydberg atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting qubits, aiming to lessen the reliance on classical control within quantum computing. The work proposes that passive lasers, sculpted traps, and circuit quantum electrodynamics could enable these gates, serving as building blocks for circuits with reduced classical control burdens. Rydberg Atoms Enable Quantum-Autonomous Entangling Gates Rydberg atoms offer a pathway toward quantum-autonomous entangling gates, potentially reducing the demands placed on classical control systems within quantum computers. This work details proposals for experimentally realizing these gates and indicates a forward-looking approach to quantum control with a projected timeline for potential breakthroughs. The proposed Rydberg atom-based gates leverage either Rydberg-blockade interactions or ultrafast transitions to achieve entanglement without continuous-wave laser control. Passive lasers are key to enacting these quantum-autonomous gates, offering a departure from systems reliant on constant external manipulation. Specifically, the team demonstrated that these interactions can quantum-autonomously effect entangling gates, a crucial operation for quantum computation, and that ultrafast transitions can also achieve this goal. This approach addresses limitations imposed by classical control on quantum machine coherence times and geometries, as maintaining precise control over extended periods is a significant challenge. Building on this, the researchers note that previous work has demonstrated the usefulness of autonomous quantum machines in qubit reset, a critical function for sustained computation. The design of these gates mirrors the functionality of a drone; once constructed and initialized with time-dependent control, the system operates independently. “Because an AQM’s microscopic Hamiltonian remains constant, no external classical system spends

Xanadu gets $195M from federal government to build a <b>quantum computer</b> factory in Toronto

TORONTO — Xanadu is opening a new factory to make the hardware for its quantum computers, with $195 million in new funding from the federal government. The firm plans to overhaul part of a former Campbell Soup plant in Toronto to manufacture the photonic components for its system. It’s part of Xanadu’s plan to refine and mass-produce quantum computers to combine into a US$1-billion new data centre in the city by 2029. Workers at the 158,000 square-foot facility will prepare the firm’s light-based chips, including testing and packaging, the specialized process of adding connectors and housing to processors. It will be a scaled up version of the $10-million facility Xanadu opened at its Toronto headquarters last June. At the new factory, workers will also assemble the servers and racks that form its machines. The firm expects to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the initial buildout, but doesn’t yet have a final budget. “Building utility-scale quantum computers will require a new generation of highly specialized manufacturing capabilities,” Xanadu CEO Christian Weedbrook said in a statement. AI Minister Evan Solomon said the federal funding supports “advanced manufacturing and commercialization in Canada.” Ottawa’s backing comes from the Strategic Response Fund (SRF). Xanadu is also part of the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, launched last December, which gave four of the sector’s leading firms an initial $23 million each to keep them in the country. The company was previously awarded $40 million from the SRF’s predecessor program in January 2023 to develop the technical building blocks of its system. Xanadu is also in demand across the border. It’s one of three Canadian quantum computing companies enrolled in a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency initiative that could give developers up to US$316 million each if they prove their machines can solve real-world commercial

Post-<b>Quantum</b> Cryptography in Spring Boot: Four Patterns You Can Ship This Sprint

Key Takeaways - If you are already on JDK 24, you can start using the Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM) and Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) through the standard Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) API with no extra library. The JDK upgrade (JDK 24) you were probably already planning also unblocks your entire post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration. - Someone is storing your RSA-wrapped TLS sessions right now to decrypt later, so any customer SSNs, transaction records, and Know Your Customer (KYC) documents flowing between your services today are already at risk. Waiting for PQC TLS to arrive at your cloud provider is not a migration plan. - Encrypting a database field with a Kyber key is not the hard part; rather, the hard part is making sure that key does not live in your JVM heap, because one server restart or one heap dump undoes every encrypted row in your database. Kay Management Services (KMS) or HashiCorp Vault integration needs to come before anything is deployed to production. - OAuth2 tokens and service account credentials used by core banking, fraud detection, and regulatory reporting pipelines often live for months or years, making them a higher priority for PQC migration than short-lived customer session tokens. - Start your PQC migration with the data that lives the longest, not with the authorization layer that feels most familiar, because loan agreements and KYC records signed with RSA today will have forgeable signatures around 2035. Therefore, you cannot go back and re-sign archived documents after the fact. Background When NIST finalized the FIPS 203 and FIPS 204 specifications in August 2024, most engineering teams in regulated industries started asking the same question: "where do we actually begin?" The obvious answer is "switch to PQC TLS", but that is still rolling out across cloud providers and is

Researchers Build Platform For <b>Quantum</b> Resource Optimisation

Until now, optimising quantum computers has relied on methods limited by heavy compilation requirements, specific domain knowledge, or assumptions about long-term fault tolerance. Fujitsu Research of India has achieved a breakthrough with AutoQuREO, an automated framework for full-stack Quantum Resource Estimation and Optimisation. This new platform acts as a ‘digital twin’ for quantum computing stacks, allowing researchers to explore complex design spaces and discover previously intractable resource trade-offs, as detailed in a recent publication⁰.³. Fujitsu Research of India has developed AutoQuREO, a new framework designed to optimise the resources required for building and operating quantum computers. This platform functions as a ‘digital twin’, a virtual replica of a quantum computing system, enabling detailed exploration of different designs and configurations. By modelling the entire quantum computing stack, AutoQuREO identifies previously hidden efficiencies relating to resources like qubits and computational depth. As quantum computers move beyond initial demonstrations towards practical applications, efficiently allocating resources like qubits and computational steps becomes increasingly vital. This process, known as quantum resource estimation, is akin to a cost-benefit analysis for building the computer itself, figuring out how much of each component is needed to run a specific program. Existing methods often require extensive compilation or rely on specialised knowledge, limiting their usefulness. This allows the team to explore complex design options and identify previously hidden efficiencies, employing a technique called surrogate modelling, where a simplified ‘stand-in’ model quickly predicts performance without full simulations. AutoQuREO accelerates exploration of quantum computing stack designs ten-fold AutoQuREO achieves a 10x reduction in the computational cost of exploring design spaces previously considered intractable, improving upon prior quantum resource estimation methods. This breakthrough enables systematic analysis of quantum computing stacks, the combined hardware and software, impossible due to exponential growth in complexity as systems scale. Existing tools struggled with even moderately sized

Does <b>Computer</b> Science Need <b>Computers</b>?

Does Computer Science Need Computers? Introduction The pioneering computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra, winner of the 1972 A.M. Turing Award and inventor of one of the most iconic algorithms in all of computing, was nothing if not opinionated. Certain programming languages drew his ire, for example: He once dubbed Fortran “the infantile disorder” and stated that “the use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offence.” In justifying his disdain for using computers in his own work, he wrote, “Medical researchers are not required to suffer from the diseases they investigate.” I first encountered Dijkstra’s hot takes nearly four years ago, not long after I joined Quanta as a staff writer covering computer science. The subject was new to me — I’d been a physics journalist, and before that a physicist — and I soon learned that most people don’t know how to interpret “computer science writer.” In the broader public discourse, computer science is practically synonymous with programming or coding, but at Quanta we cover the less understood theoretical side of the field. Then I stumbled on my favorite of the many memorable declarations attributed to Dijkstra: Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. This analogy, it turns out, may not have originated with Dijkstra, but he probably would have endorsed the sentiment. For me, the quote offered a pithy, provocative way to distinguish my reporting from tech journalism. And I can’t deny that it was flattering: The field I cover, it suggested, is about something deep and timeless and beyond mere technological innovation. I got into the habit of invoking the analogy regularly — including in an episode of The Quanta Podcast — but I also began to have second thoughts about it, for reasons I couldn’t

Tech <b>Quantum Computing</b>: AI's Next Frontier

The race towards quantum computing is no longer confined to research laboratories. Governments, technology providers, enterprises, and academia are collectively shaping a future where quantum computing could redefine artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and scientific discovery. Organisations that begin preparing today will be better positioned to harness its transformative potential while mitigating the risks of tomorrow, says Sunil Verghese. Key Points - Quantum computing, utilising qubits and properties like superposition and entanglement, promises to unlock new AI capabilities far exceeding current conventional computers. - Major tech leaders like IBM, Google, and Microsoft are rapidly developing quantum machines, with IBM aiming for a fault-tolerant system by 2029, enabling advanced solutions in various fields. - The rise of quantum computing necessitates the development of quantum-safe cybersecurity measures, including Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), to protect against future quantum threats like 'Harvest now and decrypt later' attacks. - Organisations face hurdles in quantum readiness, including a lack of migration frameworks, expertise shortages, and regulatory guidelines, requiring concerted efforts for knowledge fusion and strategic planning. - The global quantum race involves governments, tech providers, enterprises, and academia, highlighting the urgent need for organisations to prepare for its transformative impact on AI, business, and cybersecurity. Quantum Computing heralds the next wave of AI, transcending the limits and possibilities of first-generation AI solutions and capabilities. The quantum era could open new frontiers of AI, with speeds and capabilities far beyond what is possible with today's conventional computers, enabling new discoveries rather than merely next-word prediction or classification. Understanding Quantum Technology Today's conventional computers work with bits, which represent information as either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use qubits, or quantum bits, which can work with information in a fundamentally different way. Qubits can exist in a combination of 0 and 1 states until they are measured, a property known as

Encryption Expiration: How AI and <b>Quantum</b> are Defining New Boundaries for Data Security

To add complexity to the perpetual challenge of data security, CISOs and security leaders now face a further reckoning. The convergence of advanced AI and emerging quantum computing is radically redrawing the boundaries for protecting what’s theirs. With everyday threat levels rising, what previously focused on encryption and perimeter defense has evolved into a multi-dimensional challenge involving algorithmic trust, model integrity, synthetic data exposure and quantum-resilient cryptography. Enterprise security leaders now face AI systems increasingly automating decisions and steering sensitive data pipelines, as quantum breakthroughs threaten classical encryption models. It’s a new era they are structurally unprepared for. To meet these needs, technology and trust architectures must be redesigned. Security must be embedded into the data lifecycle, from model training and agentic decision-making to ecosystem collaboration. Protecting enterprise data now means safeguarding a dynamic, interconnected web of partners, customers and autonomous systems that depend on shared integrity. The relevant investments in quantum-safe security, AI transparency and federated governance will no longer be optional but inevitable. This means that data security strategists must step up their cyber protection strategies to maintain competitive resilience, secure brand trust and defend their data empire. The Reality of Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity It isn’t easy to predict the moment that enterprise security architecture becomes unfit for purpose, but there are developments indicating the rapid pace of quantum and AI development. For one, quantum computing will soon be capable of compromising the cryptographic foundations that have traditionally secured digital trust. The quantum computing market is expected to grow from over $3.5 billion in 2025 to $20.2 billion by 2030. Not only is the quantum market growing exponentially but the UK Government already announced some new measures in March 2026 to become the first country in the world to roll out Quantum computers at scale. There’s a

Anthropic's Claude automates laser frequency lock recovery for QuEra <b>quantum computers</b>

Anthropic’s Claude automates laser frequency lock recovery for QuEra quantum computers Claude built a laser relock controller for QuEra; 695 of 700 tests succeeded. On August 27, developer of quantum computers QuEra Computing said that Anthropic’s AI agent Claude developed and tested on a separate test stand a program to automatically restore a laser’s operating frequency. In a control series of 700 tests across seven types of failures, the controller it created successfully returned the setup to the target state 695 times. The system never reported a successful recovery when one had not actually occurred. QuEra attributed the five unsuccessful attempts to the state of the experimental setup rather than a software error. QuEra’s quantum computers use neutral atoms as qubits. Nearly all operations to control atomic qubits and read out their state are performed via interactions of the atoms with laser light. Temperature, vibrations, and pressure changes can break the laser’s frequency lock. In such cases, quantum operations begin to fail, and restoring more complex faults requires a specialist’s intervention. According to QuEra, an experienced operator typically needs five to ten minutes to return the laser to its operating frequency. The company had previously automated simple disruptions, but rare and more complex scenarios still required manual intervention. Claude rewrote the recovery logic For the experiment, QuEra used the Model Hardware Standard (MHS), a specification for interfacing AI agents with physical equipment. Its development began as a joint project by Anthropic and the HHMI Janelia research center. MHS gives an agent standardized access to equipment readings and controls while preserving engineer-defined constraints, hardware interlocks, and an emergency stop. The technology is currently in a limited research preview, but Anthropic plans to open-source the standard. QuEra connected Claude through MHS to a separate test stand with precision equipment costing about $700,000.

IQM <b>Quantum Computers</b> Stock Stumbles After Red-Hot Surge

IQM Quantum Computers ( (IQMX) ) is experiencing volatility. Read on for a possible explanation for the stockâs unusual movement. IQM Quantum Computers (IQMX) is sliding today as traders take profits after a sharp post-listing surge, even though there is no new negative company-specific news to explain the pullback. The stock had run up on enthusiasm around its recent dual Nasdaq listing and strong first earnings report, leaving shares vulnerable to a sentiment-driven cooldown. The earlier rally was fueled by IQMâs status as the first European quantum computing firm on a major U.S. exchange and a debut earnings release showing a record â¬102 million order backlog and 26 systems sold. With expectations set high and momentum stretched, short-term volatility is intensifying as fast-money investors reassess valuations despite the unchanged fundamental story. Analysts and long-term investors may still view the companyâs robust order book and growing global customer base as a solid foundation for future growth in quantum computing demand. However, the recent bout of profit-taking highlights how sentiment-driven moves can amplify swings in the share price, reminding investors that even promising technology names can face sharp reversals when optimism runs ahead of fundamentals. More about IQM Quantum Computers YTD Price Performance: 5.77% Average Trading Volume: 580,859 Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy Current Market Cap: $2.89B For further insights into IQMX stock on TipRanksâ Stock Analysis page. See more of todayâs top stock gainers and losers. This story was written using TipRanks's AI tools and reviewed by a TipRanks editor.

Pasqal partners with Eleven Ventures to expand its <b>quantum computing</b> services in Saudi Arabia

Quantum computing startup Pasqal has announced that it will deploy its quantum computers in Saudi Arabia. In partnership with venture capital firm Eleven Ventures, the French startup said that its neutral-atom quantum computing systems would now be accessible to customers throughout the MENA region. The joint enterprise would also help to nurture quantum computing talent inside Saudi Arabia. DCD has approached Pasqal for comment. “We believe that quantum today is where AI stood a few years ago, on the edge of changing everything,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Talal, who has been appointed as chairman of Pasqal Arabia. “The difference is that this time, the Kingdom and the region are not watching from a distance; we are moving first, and in Pasqal we found a partner that will not wait either. Together we plan to deploy real systems, raise a generation of quantum talent, and make the Kingdom the home of this technology for the entire region.” The announcement was made during the visit to France of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud. The partnership between Pasqal and Eleven Ventures also forms part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 campaign, which aims to accelerate the kingdom’s development of AI and advanced computing technologies, including quantum. Founded in 2019, Pasqal builds neutral-atom quantum computers that perform their calculations at room temperature. Its collaboration with Eleven Ventures is not its first expansion into Saudi Arabia. In May, Pasqal announced that it had built a quantum computer in collaboration with the kingdom’s state-owned oil company, Aramco. That followed a major investment in the startup by Aramco’s domestic venture arm, Wa’ed Ventures, which saw both companies explore niche applications for quantum computing such as well placement, rig scheduling, and port logistics that classical computers find difficult to optimize.

World's first space <b>quantum</b> gravity sensor to map hidden resources

NASA has awarded Infleqtion $20 million to advance a mission developing what could become the world’s first quantum gravity sensor in space. The new funding brings NASA’s total investment in the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder mission to $40 million. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the effort. The program now moves into a critical hardware development phase. Engineers will build and test major components before preparing the instrument for a future orbital demonstration. Infleqtion expects the spacecraft to launch into low Earth orbit in 2030. Measuring gravity from orbit The proposed instrument uses ultracold rubidium atoms to detect tiny differences in Earth’s gravitational field. Those measurements could eventually offer a sharper view of changes occurring beneath and across the planet’s surface. Scientists could use future gravity instruments to track shifting groundwater and melting ice. They may also reveal changes in underground natural resources. Existing satellite missions already map Earth’s gravity. NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO spacecraft have monitored gravity changes for decades. Quantum sensing could introduce a different measurement approach. Infleqtion will develop the atomic physics package at the center of the new instrument. That system includes the vacuum chamber, lasers, and electronic controls needed to manipulate the atoms. The sensor will cool rubidium atoms to temperatures approaching the pico-Kelvin scale. At those extreme temperatures, researchers can precisely control the atoms for gravity measurements. More from Space See All Dana Anderson, Infleqtion’s chief science officer, said the field has moved beyond simply proving quantum technology works. “We are no longer testing the quantum technology itself,” Anderson said. “We are testing ways to use it in the space environment.” The Pathfinder mission will focus on demonstrating whether that technology can operate under orbital conditions. Testing quantum sensing before launch Infleqtion will now construct an initial sensor head and an electronics engineering unit. Engineers

Sorry QTUM, WQTM Is The Better <b>Quantum</b> ETF

The last time I covered a quantum computing ETF was back in May, when I gave a prescient hold rating to the Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM). I've had problems with how the Sorry QTUM, WQTM Is The Better Quantum ETF Summary - I'm issuing a buy on WisdomTree's WQTM. I've rated Defiance's QTUM a hold since it debuted, based on how it's built, not on quantum's direction. - Since WQTM's inception, QTUM returned 32.16% and XLK 25.46% against WQTM's 6.47%. That gap came from megacap tech, not from quantum computing firms. - WQTM's index scores each firm on quantum revenue purity. IonQ, D-Wave, and Rigetti are its top three weights. QTUM is equal-weighted, so megacap tech dominates its returns. - Both funds hold high-beta speculative names. In a market downturn WQTM is likely to sell off harder, and its 0.45% ER tops QTUM's 0.40%. - If you're speculating on quantum, size the position first. Sizing matters more than picking WQTM over QTUM. This article was written by Analystâs Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AMZN, GOOGL, IBM either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors

Saying 'YES' to entrepreneurship at Yale

Miles Lasater caught the entrepreneurship bug early in life. Growing up in San Francisco, both of his parents started their own businesses. Plus, his friend’s parents were involved in some of the most iconic companies in Silicon Valley at the time. “It’s about what’s worth solving and how do we organize people to tackle that problem and serve customers,” he said. Once at Yale, Lasater ’01 met fellow undergraduate student Sean Glass ’03 who shared his interest in innovation. “We were both excited about entrepreneurship and thought there should be a place for students to come together for education and working opportunities,” Lasater said. So, in 1999, the Yale Entrepreneurial Society (YES) was born. Almost 30 years later, the student-run nonprofit YES has become one of the largest undergraduate organizations on campus. YES helps students transform ideas into reality through talks, dinners, and execution-focused programs. “Yale had all the ingredients to be a major force in the startup world, so we decided that we would try to get things moving by starting YES,” Glass said. Starting up Today, Lasater is the CEO and founder of Purpose Built, a venture capital studio, and Glass is managing partner of Evidenced, an investment firm. When they started YES, it was during the dot-com bubble, a period characterized by the rise of internet-based companies’ stock prices. A bust ultimately followed in the early 2000s. Lasater says YES had strong membership numbers almost immediately. For them, the two priorities were educational and networking opportunities. They didn’t just want students to meet each other but also people from off campus, especially those with entrepreneurship experience. “Starting YES became a great way to build many new friendships while pursuing something I was passionate about,” Glass said. In fact, during the first year of YES, they were able

AI searched 100 million possibilities and found a cheaper way to 3D-print a NASA rocket alloy

AI searched 100 million possibilities and found a cheaper way to 3D-print a NASA rocket alloy - Date: - August 27, 2026 - Source: - Washington State University - Summary: - Researchers used AI to search through more than 100 million possible settings for 3D-printing a high-performance NASA alloy. After only 40 experiments, the system identified six successful configurations, including one that worked at a record-low 500 watts. That could allow GRCop-42, currently difficult and expensive to print, to be made with much more widely available equipment. - Share: Washington State University researchers have used artificial intelligence to identify a faster and less costly way to 3D print a high-performance metal alloy, avoiding the need to manually test more than 100 million possible printing configurations. The advance could eventually make the alloy, which is widely used in aerospace applications and may have uses in other industries, printable on more common commercial equipment. The AI strategy developed by the team could also be useful for other scientific problems involving enormous numbers of possible experiments, including drug discovery. Researchers from WSU's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering published the work in the Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. The project also received the Innovative Deployed Application Award at the organization's annual conference. "Ninety percent of commercial printers cannot print this metal alloy, so given that we were able to find these feasible process parameters, it allows us to use those commercial printers, and we are essentially democratizing the printing of this alloy," said Jana Doppa, Huie-Rogers Endowed Chair Professor of Computer Science and Berry Distinguished Professor in Engineering who led the research. A NASA Alloy Built for Extreme Heat The material, GRCop-42, is an alloy made from copper, chromium, and niobium.

<b>Quantum computing</b> used in 'first commercial game development' — IBM simulator ...

Quantum computing used in 'first commercial game development' — IBM simulator generated maps, characters, and graphics in C.L.A.Y. RPG Quantum’s touted strengths in solving impossible problems, in simulations, and in complex modeling could also fit perfectly into next-generation video game engines. Game studio MiTale Ltd. is at Gamescom promoting a narrative-driven post-apocalyptic RPG dubbed C.L.A.Y. - The Last Redemption. You may well have heard the same or very similar descriptions of a new game before, but C.L.A.Y. stands out for its use of quantum computing techniques in the creation of game assets as well as for game narrative and procedural systems. MiTale worked with experts from IBM Quantum Computing and claims this is the “first commercial game on the market utilizing quantum computing in an immersive narrative experience.” Moreover, it reckons this is “the first step toward using real quantum hardware in games to accelerate complex tasks in a manner similar to a GPU,” which is rather bold. The official game page on Steam (linked above) doesn’t mention quantum computing, but perhaps it hasn’t been updated with details from this Gamescom announcement, or kept up-to-date with the game development process. A little bit of investigation reveals that C.L.A.Y.’s development seems to have spanned at least six years so far. We’ve been emailed a fuller statement about MiTale’s exploration of quantum games, and there is some more public information about MiTale’s IBM Quantum collaborations on the game’s Gamescom 2026 press kit. MiTale has been exploring quantum games since 2019. Its work in the games development field has included connecting quantum systems with familiar development environments, including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, and the Ink narrative system. However, it has a longer-term goal of integrating real quantum hardware into game development. It hopes to enhance the player-centered design this way, as well as

Telcos move 'aggressively' to seize AI opportunity — Graphiant CEO

- Graphiant CEO Ali Shaikh said carriers are moving fast to take advantage of AI, defying their history of slow movement - AI gives carriers compelling opportunity to move beyond commodity connectivity - Graphiant provides a network-as-a-service platform to enable AI and post-quantum cryptography Telcos are moving surprisingly fast as AI gives them a rare opportunity to expand beyond commodity connectivity, Graphiant CEO Ali Shaikh said. Shaikh, who was named CEO of the network-as-a-service platform provider in October after serving as chief product officer, said the change in carrier behavior caught him off guard. "If you'd asked me when we were starting this company, would the telcos move as fast as I see them moving, at that time, I would have said probably not," Shaikh said in an interview. "Our experience in the last 12 months has been that they're moving pretty aggressively because they have a compelling event in the market that they can use to increase their margins — that event being AI." Why are telcos in a hurry? Shaikh pointed to two forces pushing carriers off the sidelines. The first is, obviously, AI. The second is post-quantum cryptography, replacing encryption that quantum computers are expected to break. Google puts "Q-day," the day quantum computers overpower encryption, around 2028, the U.S. government around 2030 and Cloudflare at 2029. The AI opportunity divides between "AI for networking" — using agents and analytics to automate operations — and "networking for AI" — using the network to enable AI, Shaikh said. IP backbones built for the original internet on BGP and MPLS still run on manual, box-by-box configuration, and a carrier circuit can take six months to provision, Shaikh said. Graphiant accelerates the process. "AI doesn't have six months to wait for a circuit," Shaikh said. Networks must become "more ephemeral,

QUBT vs. RGTI: Which <b>Quantum</b> Stock Is the Better Pick Now?

QUBT vs. RGTI: Which Quantum Stock Is the Better Pick Now? Quantum ComputingQUBT or QCi and Rigetti RGTI are widely followed pure-play quantum computing companies focused on developing quantum hardware and driving commercial adoption. QCi is focused on integrated photonics, quantum optics and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Its products are designed to operate at room temperature with relatively low power requirements, targeting applications in optimization, AI, sensing, imaging and cybersecurity. Key offerings include the Dirac Entropy Quantum Computer, NeuraWave photonic reservoir computing platform, photonic sensing systems and quantum-secured communication solutions, alongside photonic-chip foundry and advanced packaging services. Rigetti develops and operates superconducting quantum computers, using a vertically integrated approach that spans chip design, fabrication, systems and cloud delivery. Its products include the Novera QPU, the 84-qubit Ankaa-3 system and the newer 36-qubit Cepheus-1-36Q, which uses its proprietary multi-chip architecture. The company also provides cloud access through Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services (“QCS”) and offers foundry and professional services. Per a Fortune Business Insights report, the global quantum computing market size was valued at $1.39 billion in 2025. The market is projected to grow from $1.82 billion in 2026 to $17.89 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 33.0% during the period. Over the past month, shares of QUBT and RGTI have gained 8.1% and 9.7%, respectively. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Recent Developments Supporting QCi’s Growth QCi expanded customer traction across its quantum optimization and photonic computing platforms, including the sale and installation of a Dirac-3 system for enterprise applications, such as portfolio optimization. NeuraWave reached deployment readiness, supported by a framework agreement with Planck Dynamics representing more than $10 million in potential value. The company also acquired NHanced Semiconductors to accelerate Fab 2 and expand advanced packaging and photonic integration capabilities. QUBT Stock’s Drawbacks In the second quarter, operating expenses totaled