[Annotated] Quantum leaps

The strangeness^[각주:1] of the quantum realm opens up exciting new technological possibilities 

A bathing cap^[각주:2] that can watch individual neurons, allowing others to monitor the wearer's mind. A sensor^[각주:3] that can spot hidden nuclear submarines. A computer that can discover new drugs, revolutionize^[각주:4] securities trading^[각주:5] and design new materials. A global network of communication links whose security is underwritten by^[각주:6] unbreakable^[각주:7] physical laws^[각주:8]. Such - and more - is the promise of^[각주:9] quantum technology.

All this potential arises from^[각주:10] improvements in scientists' ability to trap^[각주:11], poke^[각주:12] and prod^[각주:13] single atoms and wispy^[각주:14] particles of light called photons^[각주:15]. Today's computer chips get cheaper and faster as their features get smaller, but quantum mechanics^[각주:16] says that at tiny enough scales, particles sail through^[각주:17] solids^[각주:18], short-circuiting^[각주:19] the chip's innards^[각주:20]. Quantum technologies come at the problem^[각주:21] from the other direction. Rather than scale devices down^[각주:22], quantum technologies employ^[각주:23] the unusual behaviors of single atoms and particles and scale them up^[각주:24]. Like computerization^[각주:25] before it, this unlocks^[각주:26] a world of possibilities, with applications^[각주:27] in nearly^[각주:28] every existing industry - and the potential to spark^[각주:29] entirely new ones. 

Strange but true

Quantum mechanics - a theory of the behavior at the atomic level put together^[각주:30] in the early 20th century - has a well-earned^[각주:31] reputation for weirdness^[각주:32]. That is because the world as humanity sees it is not, in fact, how the world works. Quantum mechanics replaced wholesale the centuries-old notion of a clockwork^[각주:33], deterministic^[각주:34] universe with a reality that deals in probabilities^[각주:35] rather than certainties^[각주:36] - one where the very act of measurement affects what is measured. Along with^[각주:37] that upheaval^[각주:38] came a few truly^[각주:39] mind-bending^[각주:40] implications^[각주:41], such as the fact that particles are fundamentally neither here nor there but, until pinned down^[각주:42], both here and there at the same time: they are in a "superposition^[각주:43]" of here-there-ness. The theory also suggested that particles can be spookily^[각주:44] linked^[각주:45]: do something to one and the change is felt instantaneously^[각주:46] by the other, even across vast reaches^[각주:47] of space. This "entanglement^[각주:48]" confounded^[각주:49] even the theory's originators^[각주:50].

It is exactly these effects that show such promise now: the techniques that were refined in a bid to^[각주:51] learn more about the quantum world are now being harnessed^[각주:52] to put it to good use^[각주:53]. Gizmos^[각주:54] that exploit^[각주:55] superposition and entanglement can vastly^[각주:56] outperform^[각주:57] existing ones - and accomplish^[각주:58] things once thought to be impossible.

Improving atomic clocks^[각주:59] by incorporating^[각주:60] entanglement, for example, makes them more accurate than those used today in satellite positioning. That could improve navigational^[각주:61] precision^[각주:62] by orders of magnitude^[각주:63], which would make self-driving cars safer and more reliable. And because the strength of the local gravitational field^[각주:64] affects the flow of time (according to general relativity, another immensely^[각주:65] successful but counter-intuitive^[각주:66] theory), such clocks would also be able to measure tiny variations^[각주:67] in gravity. That could be used to spot underground pipes without having to dig up^[각주:68] the road, or track submarines far below the waves.

Other aspects of quantum theory permit messaging without worries about eavesdroppers^[각주:69]. Signals encoded^[각주:70] using either superposed^[각주:71] or entangled^[각주:72] particles cannot be intercepted, duplicated and passed on^[각주:73]. That has obvious appeal to^[각주:74] companies and governments that world over^[각주:75]. China has already launched a satellite that can receive and reroute^[각주:76] such signals; a global, unhackable^[각주:77] network could eventually follow. 

The advantageous^[각주:78] interplay between^[각주:79] odd quantum effects^[각주:80] reaches its zenith in^[각주:81] quantum computers. Rather than the 0s and 1s of standard computing^[각주:82], a quantum computer's bits are in superpositions of both, and each "qubit" is entangled with^[각주:83] every other. Using algorithms that recast^[각주:84] problems in quantum-amendable^[각주:85] forms, such computers will be able to chomp^[각주:86] their way through calculations^[각주:87] that would take today's best supercomputers millennia^[각주:88]. Even as high-security quantum networks are being developed, a countervailing^[각주:89] worry is that quantum computers will eventually render^[각주:90] obsolete^[각주:91] today's cryptographic^[각주:92] techniques, which are based on^[각주:93] hard mathematical problems.

Long before that happens, however, smaller quantum computers will make other contributions^[각주:94] in industries from energy and logistics^[각주:95] to drug design^[각주:96] and finance. Even simple quantum computers should be able to tackle classes of problems^[각주:97] that choke^[각주:98] conventional machines, such as optimizing^[각주:99] trading strategies^[각주:100] or plucking^[각주:101] promising drug candidates^[각주:102] from scientific literature. Google said last week that such machines are only five years from commercial exploitability^[각주:103]. This week IBM, which already runs a publicly^[각주:104] accessible^[각주:105], rudimentary^[각주:106] quantum computer, announced expansion plans^[각주:107]. As our Technology Quarterly in this issue explains, big tech firms and startups alike^[각주:108] are developing software to exploit these devices' curious abilities. A new ecosystem of middlemen^[각주:109] is emerging to match^[각주:110] new hardware to industries that might benefit.

The solace of^[각주:111] quantum 

This landscape has much in common with ^[각주:112]the state of the internet in the early 1990s: a largely^[각주:113] laboratory-based^[각주:114] affair that had occupied^[각주:115] scientists for decades, but in which industry was starting to see broader potential. Blue-chip^[각주:116] firms are buying into^[각주:117] it, or developing their own research efforts^[각주:118]. Startups are multiplying. Governments are investing "strategically", having paid for the underlying^[각주:119] research for many years - a reminder^[각주:120] that there are some goods, such as blue-sky^[각주:121] scientific work, that markets cannot be relied upon to provide.

Fortunately for quantum technologists^[각주:122], the remaining^[각주:123] challenges are mostly engineering ones, rather than scientific. And today's quantum-enhanced^[각주:124] gizmos are just the beginning. What is most exciting about quantum technology is its as yet^[각주:125] untapped^[각주:126] potential. Experts at the frontier of^[각주:127] any transformative^[각주:128] technology have a spotty record^[각주:129] of foreseeing many of the uses it will find; Thomas Edison thought his phonograph's^[각주:130] strength would lie in^[각주:131] elocution^[각주:132] lessons. For much of the 20th century "quantum" has, in the popular consciousness^[각주:133], simply signified^[각주:134] "weird". In the 21st, it will come to mean^[각주:135] "better".

1. strangeness ; 1. 이상함 2. (물리) 스트레인지니스 ((소립자 상태를 규정하는 양자수(量子數))) [본문으로]
2. bathing cap ; 수영 모자 [본문으로]
3. sensor ; [명사] 센서, 감지기 [본문으로]
4. revolutionize ; [타동사][VN] 대변혁[혁신]을 일으키다 [본문으로]
5. securities trading ; 증권거래 [본문으로]
6. underwrite ; 3. (주권・채권 등을) 인수하다 [본문으로]
7. unbreakable ; [형용사] 부서뜨릴[깨부술] 수 없는 [본문으로]
8. physical laws ; 물리학 법칙들 [본문으로]
9. promise ; 2. [U] (성공할) 가능성, 장래성 [본문으로]
10. arise from ; …에서 발생하다[일어나다], …이 원인이다 [본문으로]
11. trap ; 3. CATCH | (사용할 수 있는 것을 어떤 곳에) 끌어모으다[모아 두다] [본문으로]
12. poke ; 1. [타동사][VN] ~ sb/sth (with sth) (손가락 등으로) 쿡 찌르다 [본문으로]
13. prod ; 1. ~ (at) sb/sth (손가락이나 뾰족한 것으로) 쿡 찌르다 [본문으로]
14. wispy ; [형용사] (촘촘하지 못하고) 몇 가닥[줄기]으로 된, 성긴 [본문으로]
15. photon ; [명사] (물리) 광자, 광양자 [본문으로]
16. quantum mechanics ; [명사] (물리) 양자역학 [본문으로]
17. sail through ; (시험·테스트 등을) 순조롭게 통과하다, …을 무사히 치르다, …을 쉽게 벗어나다(=cope with easily). ;; breeze through [본문으로]
18. solid ; 1. NOT LIQUID/GAS | 고체, 고형물 [본문으로]
19. short-circuiting ; [명사] (광산공학) 단락(短絡) [본문으로]
20. innards ; [pl.], (비격식) 2. (기계의) 내부 [본문으로]
21. come at sth ; (문제에) 접근하다[생각하다] [본문으로]
22. scale down ; (크기·규모를) 축소하다[줄이다] [본문으로]
23. employ ; [타동사][VN] (격식) (기술・방법 등을) 쓰다[이용하다] [본문으로]
24. scale up ; (크기·규모를) 확대하다[늘리다] [본문으로]
25. computerization ; [명사] 컴퓨터화 [본문으로]
26. unlock ; 2. (비밀 등을) 드러내다 [본문으로]
27. application ; 2. PRACTICAL USE | [U , C] ~ (of sth) (to sth) 적용, 응용 [본문으로]
28. nearly ; [부사] 거의 [본문으로]
29. spark ; 1. [타동사][VN] ~ sth (off) 촉발시키다, 유발하다 [본문으로]
30. put together ; (부품을) 조립하다, (이것저것을 모아) 만들다[준비하다], 합하다 [본문으로]
31. well-earned ; [형용사] 제 힘으로 번, 당연한 보답으로 받은, 충분히 받을[누릴] 자격이 있는 [본문으로]
32. weirdness ; [명사] 초자연임; 기묘[괴상]함. [본문으로]
33. clockwork ; [명사] 시계[태엽] 장치 [본문으로]
34. deterministic ; [형용사] 결정론(자)적인 [본문으로]
35. deal in sth ; 2. (결정·태도·행동의 기준으로) 받아들이다[다루다] [본문으로]
36. certainty ; 1. [C] 확실한 것 [본문으로]
37. along with ; ~에 덧붙여; ~와 마찬가지로 [본문으로]
38. upheaval ; [C , U] 격변, 대변동 [본문으로]
39. truly ; 3. 엄밀히, 정확히 [본문으로]
40. mind-bending ; [형용사] (비격식) 특히 약물이 환각성의, 정신착란을 일으키는 [본문으로]
41. implication ; 1. [C] [주로 복수로] ~ (for/of sth) (행동・결정이 초래할 수 있는) 영향[결과] [본문으로]
42. pin down ; [동사] 속박하다; (결단 따위를) 강요하다; 분명하게 정의하다. [본문으로]
43. superposition ; [명사] (물리학) 중첩, 겹쳐 놓기 [본문으로]
44. spooky ; [형용사] (spook・ier , spooki・est) (비격식) 으스스한, 귀신이 나올 것 같은 ;; [부사] spookily [본문으로]
45. link ; 3. 관련이 있다고 말하다, 관련[연결]시키다 [본문으로]
46. instantaneously ; [부사] 순간적으로; 즉석으로; 동시에. [본문으로]
47. vast reaches ; 광활한 지역. [본문으로]
48. entanglement ; 1. [C] (다른 사람・국가와의) 복잡한[얽히고설킨] 관계 [본문으로]
49. confound [vn], (격식) ; 1. 어리둥절[당혹]하게 만들다 [본문으로]
50. originator ; [명사] 창작자, 창설자, 창시자, 발기인, 시조 [본문으로]
51. in a bid to do ; …하기 위하여, …을 겨냥하여 [본문으로]
52. harness ; 2. (동력원 등으로) 이용[활용]하다 [본문으로]
53. put it to good use ; 그것을 이용하다 ;; put [stick] it to ; …에게 일[책임 따위]을 맡기다[지우다] [본문으로]
54. gizmo ; [명사] pl. -os (비격식) (흔히 새롭고 쓸모 있는) 간단한 장치 [본문으로]
55. exploit ; 3. (최대한 잘) 활용하다 [본문으로]
56. vastly ; [부사] 대단히, 엄청나게 ;; US [|vӕstli], UK [|vɑ:stli] [본문으로]
57. outperform ; [타동사][VN] 더 나은 결과를 내다, 능가하다 [본문으로]
58. accomplish ; [타동사][VN] 완수하다, 성취하다, 해내다 [본문으로]
59. atomic clock ; [명사] 원자시계(원자나 분자의 진동 주기로 시간을 재는 대단히 정확한 시계) [본문으로]
60. incorporate ; 1. ~ sth (in/into/within sth) (일부로) 포함하다 [본문으로]
61. navigational ; [형용사] 항해의, 항행의; 비행의, 항공의. [본문으로]
62. precision ; [명사] 정확(성); 정밀(성); 신중함 [본문으로]
63. orders of magnitude ; 넓이의 비교, 수의 비교 ;; order of magnitude ; [명사] (수학) 자릿수 [본문으로]
64. gravitational field ; (물리) 중력장(場) [본문으로]
65. immensely ; [부사] 엄청나게, 대단히 [본문으로]
66. counter-intuitive ; [부사] 엄청나게, 대단히 [본문으로]
67. variation ; 1. [C , U] ~ (in/of sth) (특히 양・정도의) 변화[차이] [본문으로]
68. dig up ; (씨를 뿌리거나 건물을 짓거나 하기 위해) 땅을 파 뒤집다[헤치다], 캐내다 [본문으로]
69. eavesdropper ; [명사] (사적인 대화를) 엿듣는 사람. [본문으로]
70. encode ; 1. 암호로 바꾸다 [본문으로]
71. superpose ; [타동사][VN] (다른 것의) 위에 놓다[겹쳐 놓다] [본문으로]
72. entangled ; 얼기설기 얽힌 [본문으로]
73. pass on ; (특히 자기도 남에게 받았거나 자기가 쓰던 것을) (~에게) 넘겨 주다[전달하다] [본문으로]
74. have appeal to ; ~에 호소력을 가지다, 호소력이 있다. [본문으로]
75. the (whole) world over ; 세계 모든 곳[방방곡곡] [본문으로]
76. reroute ; [타동사] 다른[새로운] 길로 수송하다, 길[여정/경로]을변경하다 [본문으로]
77. unhackable ; (computing) Not hackable; that cannot be hacked or broken into. [본문으로]
78. advantageous ; [형용사] ~ (to sb) 이로운, 유리한 [본문으로]
79. interplay ; [U , sing.] ~ (of/between A and B) (격식) 상호 작용 [본문으로]
80. quantum effect ; (화학) 양자 효과, 나노선 [본문으로]
81. reach its zenith [peak] ; 절정에 이르다 [본문으로]
82. computing ; [U] 컴퓨터 사용[조작] [본문으로]
83. be entangled with [in] ; …에 걸려들다, 말려들다; …에 관련되다 [본문으로]
84. recast ; 1. 재구성하다, 다르게 제시하다 [본문으로]
85. amendable ; [형용사] 수정[개정]할 수 있는 [본문으로]
86. chomp ; [동사] ~ (on/through sth) (음식을) 쩝쩝 먹다 [본문으로]
87. calculation ; 1. [C , U] 계산, 산출 ;; chomp their way through calculation ; 흐름상 새로운 양자컴퓨터는 방대한 양의 계산을 손쉽게 해낼것이라는 의미 [본문으로]
88. millennia ; [명사] (특히 예수 탄생을 기준으로 그 전후의) 천년 [본문으로]
89. countervailing ; [형용사] (명사 앞에만 씀) (격식) 대항력 있는, 길항하는 [본문으로]
90. render ; 1. CAUSE SB/STH TO BE STH | [타동사][VN-ADJ] (격식) (어떤 상태가 되게) 만들다[하다] [본문으로]
91. obsolete ; [형용사] 더 이상 쓸모가 없는, 한물간, 구식의 ;; US [|ɑ:bsə|li:t], UK [|ɒbsəli:t] [본문으로]
92. cryptographic ; [형용사] 암호(법)의 [본문으로]
93. be based on ; ~에 기초하다, 근거하다 [본문으로]
94. make a contribution to [toward] ; …에 기부[공헌]하다 [본문으로]
95. logistics ; [명사] ~ (of sth) (많은 사람・장비가 동원되는 복잡한 작업의) 실행 계획, 물류 [본문으로]
96. drug design ; 약품 개발, 약품 디자인, 설계 [본문으로]
97. tackle a problem ; 문제를 다루다 ;; classes of ; 여러가지 종류의 [본문으로]
98. choke ; 1. ~ (on sth) 숨이 막히다, 질식할 지경이다; 질식시키다 [본문으로]
99. optimize ; [타동사][VN] …을 최대한 좋게[적합하게] 만들다[활용하다] [본문으로]
100. trading strategy ; 거래 전략, 매매 전략 [본문으로]
101. pluck ; 1. HAIR | [타동사][VN] ~ sth (out) (머리카락・눈썹 등을) 뽑다 [본문으로]
102. promising drug candidate ; 유효 약제 후보 [본문으로]
103. exploitability ; [명사] 개발[착취]할 수 있음. [본문으로]
104. publicly ; [부사] 공공연하게, 공개적으로; 공적으로, 여론에 의해; 정부에 의해 [본문으로]
105. accessible ; 1. 접근[입장/이용] 가능한 [본문으로]
106. rudimentary ; [형용사] (격식) 가장 기본[기초]적인 [본문으로]
107. expansion plan ; 확대 방안, 확대 계획, 확장 계획, 확충 계획 [본문으로]
108. alike ; [명사 앞에는 안 씀] (아주) 비슷한 ;; 참고 unlike [본문으로]
109. middleman ; 2. (어떤 일을 중간에서 주선하거나 조정하는) 중개인[중재자] [본문으로]
110. match ; 3. FIND STH SIMILAR/CONNECTED | [타동사][VN] ~ sb/sth (to/with sb/sth) (관련 있거나 비슷한 것을) 연결시키다 [본문으로]
111. solace ; [U , sing.] (격식) 위안, 위로; 위안[위로](이 되는 사람・것) [본문으로]
112. have sth in common (with sb) ; (관심사·생각 등을) 공통적으로 지니다 [본문으로]
113. largely ; [부사] 크게, 대체로, 주로 [본문으로]
114. laboratory-based ; 실험실 기반의 [본문으로]
115. occupy ; 4. ~ sb/sth/yourself (in doing sth/with sb/sth) (~하느라/~으로) ~를 바쁘게 하다; (~이) ~의 시간을 차지하다 [본문으로]
116. blue-chip ; [형용사] (명사 앞에만 씀) (금융) 블루칩의, 일류[우량]의 [본문으로]
117. buy into ; (특히 회사의 경영권을 장악하기 위해) ~의 주식을 사들이다 [본문으로]
118. research effort ; 연구 노력, 연구 활동 [본문으로]
119. underlying ; [형용사] (겉으로 잘 드러나지는 않지만) 근본적인[근원적인] [본문으로]
120. reminder ; 1. ~ (of sb/sth) | ~ (that…) (이미 잊었거나 잊고 싶은 것을) 상기시키는[생각나게 하는] 것 [본문으로]
121. blue-sky ; [형용사] (명사 앞에만 씀) (흥미롭긴 하지만) 비현실적인 [본문으로]
122. technologist ; [명사] 최신 과학 기술 분야 전문가 [본문으로]
123. remaining ; [형용사] (명사 앞에만 씀) 남아 있는, 남은 ;; 참고 remain [본문으로]
124. enhanced ; [형용사] (정도·가치·질 등을) 증대한; 높인, 강화한 [본문으로]
125. as yet ; 아직[그때](까지) [본문으로]
126. untapped ; [형용사] (이용할 수 있는 것을) 아직 손대지[사용하지] 않은 [본문으로]
127. frontier ; 3. [C] [주로 복수로] ~ (of sth) (특히 특정 지식・활동 영역의) 한계 [본문으로]
128. transformative ; 변화시키는. 혁신적인 [본문으로]
129. spotty record ; 보통 성적 [본문으로]
130. phonograph ; [명사] [미] 축음기 , 레코드 플레이어([영] gramophone); [영] 납관(蠟管)식 축음기 [본문으로]
131. lie in ; ~에 있다 ;; lie[be situated] in [본문으로]
132. elocution ; [U] 웅변술, 연설[발성] 능력 [본문으로]
133. popular consciousness ; 민중의식, 대중의 의식 [본문으로]
134. signify ; 1. 의미하다, 뜻하다, 나타내다 [본문으로]
135. come to mean ; ~을 의미하게 되다 [본문으로]