What is a quantum computer good for? Absolutely nothing — yet
To this day, we have yet to see a quantum computer conclusively perform a single useful task. Existing machines are simply too small and error-ridden to solve commercially relevant problems. That hasn't stopped Donald Trump's science adviser from promising a "quantum computer powerful enough for scientific discovery by 2028" and Trump from issuing a new executive order to speed up the US quantum computing industry in its competition with China, both on June 22nd.
Companies drive the hype, too. In June, Microsoft announced a new quantum computing chip named Majorana 2. It claimed the chip was a hardware advancement that accelerates its timel …