Quantum Computing: Still 10 Years Away After 20 Years

Every couple years, someone announces they're leading the "quantum revolution" with breakthroughs that'll enable practical quantum computing real soon. Now it's France claiming they cracked "magic state preparation."

"Magic states" - that's what researchers actually call them - are supposedly essential for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Problem is we've heard "fault-tolerant quantum" since IBM started the quantum supremacy bullshit. Always one breakthrough away from computers that never arrive.

Seen this with IBM, Google, Microsoft, now European labs. Same pattern: announce small improvements, claim major breakthrough, get funding, repeat in 18 months.

VivaTech: Marketing Meets Magic

Jensen Huang called quantum "ready for mainstream deployment" at VivaTech. Same CEO pushing $30k GPUs for crypto and AI hype now pushing quantum computers that don't work for anything useful.

Pure conference theater. When quantum shows up at commercial events instead of academic conferences, it's not because tech improved - someone needs funding. Companies buying each other to look bigger while actual tech stays impractical.

200 Nanoseconds: Still Useless

Big breakthrough? 200 nanoseconds of quantum coherence. That's 0.0000002 seconds - barely enough for simple operations before everything crashes. Need microseconds or milliseconds for useful stuff. Still orders of magnitude away.

Researchers announce these tiny improvements like major wins. "50% better coherence!" sounds good until you realize it went from useless to slightly less useless. Regular computers keep getting faster and cheaper while quantum stays broken.

No Software for the Hardware

Best part: EU admits they need quantum software because they built hardware with no software ecosystem. Like spending billions on supercomputers without operating systems.

This is what happens when you chase hype instead of solving problems. Built quantum hardware that can't run useful software, then realized they need software, but the hardware isn't powerful enough anyway. Perfect circle of quantum bullshit.

Space Quantum: More Promises

Now France wants quantum in space too. Quantum satellites, quantum navigation, quantum sensing. Same promises, new environment.

Quantum sensors detecting gravitational anomalies? Quantum GPS alternatives? Sounds impressive until you remember quantum coherence dies in nanoseconds on Earth, let alone in space radiation.

Alice & Bob improved "magic state preparation" efficiency on superconducting quantum computers. Sounds impressive until you realize "magic states" is just quantum researcher jargon for specific quantum states needed for error correction.

Magic States Aren't Actually Magic

They're quantum states required for fault-tolerant computation. Without them, quantum computers can only do basic operations. With them, supposedly they become universal and can run any quantum algorithm.

Problem is making magic states costs a ton of resources - physical qubits, time, error correction overhead. Alice & Bob supposedly reduced this overhead. Still doesn't make quantum computers useful for anything real.

France "Winning" the Quantum Race

IBM and Google focus on more qubits, French companies claim they're solving "efficiency problems." Alice & Bob uses "cat qubits" for "natural error suppression." Sounds smart until you remember quantum computers still don't work.

"Build smarter not bigger" sounds good, but smarter broken computers are still broken. France betting on different approach because they can't compete on raw qubit count.

Partnership with research institutions allows "rapid iteration" while maintaining "commercial focus." Translation: more funding to work on tech that's still 10+ years from being useful.

Carbon Nanotube Qubits: Another Dead End

French researchers got 200-nanosecond coherence times in carbon nanotube qubits. That's even shorter than the already-useless superconducting qubit times, but they claim it's "different direction for quantum hardware."

Carbon nanotubes supposedly smaller, more scalable, work at higher temperatures. But shorter coherence times mean even less useful computation before everything crashes. "Simpler system" just means simpler failure.

France hedging bets with multiple approaches because none of them work. Having multiple broken technical paths doesn't increase breakthrough probability.

Space Quantum: Even More Promises

Europe's "quantum decade" extending to space because terrestrial quantum doesn't work, so maybe space quantum will be different?

Quantum sensors in orbit supposedly detect gravitational waves, map resources, monitor climate with "unprecedented precision." Quantum communication satellites provide "unhackable networks." Quantum GPS alternatives can't be "jammed or spoofed."

All sounds great until you remember quantum coherence dies in nanoseconds on Earth. Space radiation will make it even worse.

Government Bureaucracy as "Strategy"

SEALSQ buying IC'ALPS needed French government approval, showing quantum tech is "strategically important." Translation: government wants control over companies that might eventually make something useful.

"Strategic coordination" means bureaucrats deciding which startups get acquired. Q2B Paris conference will showcase how to turn quantum promises into actual money from investors who don't understand physics.