It’s exciting to see the application of technology to address global challenges. But as we advance as a species, so do the complexities of the challenges we face.

Quantum computers promise to be useful in advancing solutions to challenges in diverse fields such as energy, finance, healthcare and aerospace, among others. Their capabilities will help us cure diseases, improve global financial markets, detangle traffic, combat climate change and more. For instance, quantum computing has the potential to speed up pharmaceutical discovery and development, and to improve the accuracy of the atmospheric models used to track and explain climate change and its adverse effects.

Now we’ve all read the ludicrous claims surrounding this quantum frontier. “It’ll cure cancer”, “It’ll solve climate change”, “It’ll teleport people into a parallel dimension”. Well, the truth is we just don’t know. But part of that truth is we’ll never know unless we dedicate the time, resources, and funding to explore this emerging technology. Yes, the hype is overwhelming, but so are the possibilities if we look past the headlines and focus on verifiable scientific discovery and advancement.

Quantum computing is technology based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the nature of energy and matter on the atomic and subatomic level. It relies on the existence of mind-bending quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement. As you read this, teams all over the world are working to exploit these theories to address the challenges we face. In universities, government labs, and corporate research and development teams, experiments to build machines powered by quantum mechanics are happening every day. True, it’s a long path ahead to turn theory into reality, but the pace of advancement is rapidly accelerating.

There is no doubt a quantum future is coming. But we need to democratize the underlying technologies and focus on collaboration to make sure it’s a quantum future we all benefit from. No matter who wins the hardware race, we need the hardware-agnostic software to make these computers truly valuable. Making real use of quantum will come through collaboration, experimentation, and the sharing of discoveries. We need more people of all disciplines and skillsets to build a quantum future we can all participate in.

At Strangeworks, we’re on a mission to make the power of quantum computing easily accessible and available to all who want to apply this technology to make our world a better place. Join us at https:https://quantumcomputing.com