French inventor Jacques des Voccansons is particularly remembered for producing three curiosity automata in the 18th century. Posters at the time promoted them side by side. He beat the figures who played the real flute, tambourines and ducks, swallowed the corn, and turned it into a pellet of pellets at first glance.
For physicists Nicole Junger HalpernBased at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland, these outdated automata resonate with some of the most cutting-edge technologies today. Vocanson’s invention anticipated the Industrial Revolution. Meanwhile, mechanization became the force that shaped the Earth out of eccentric curiosity. According to Yunger Halpern, when it comes to quantum technology, we may be at a similar turning point today.
The steam-driven world of the Industrial Revolution may seem far removed from the quantum realm. However, this period of dramatic change was enhanced by thermodynamics dealing with heat, work and energy. And recently, physicists have applied the idea to the subatomic domain to devise a new field in quantum thermodynamics. This has seen the development of machines such as quantum refrigerators, batteries, and watches.
But these are just the beginning of the quantum technological revolution, Yunger Halpern said. She was co-author of a recent manifesto, aiming to chart the path to bigger things. She spoke New Scientist On what advanced quantum machines look like, the amazing benefits they can bring, and how they can work to make them a reality.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
