Qubytes
Lots of places are commenting on the new quantum memory chips in silicon.

I'm surprised at this. I expected that embedding quantum devices in silicon would be done with quantum dots, rather than ion traps. It is probably better than it was done with ion traps as there seems to have been more research into quantum processes using this technology. After all, what good is a quantum state if you can't apply transformations on it without collapsing the state?

All the same, a chip like this is just a first step in a long line of problems to be solved. There is no discussion about setting up quantum states, nor reading them back. There is no discussion about the ability to entangle the qubits on the chip, and how far that will scale. Transformations will eventually have to be built in to the chip. But if research has taught me anything, it's that the big problems are usually solved by lots of people chipping away at the little problems. By the time the final solution comes around, it doesn't seem like a big deal any more.

Tracker
The little tracker icon I have on this page is a link to a service that tells me how many hits the blog is getting (but not the RSS feed). I haven't bothered to look at the stats in a long time. After all, I'm rarely writing, so why would anybody (beyond my friends) bother to read?

Apparently I was wrong in that assessment. I'm averaging over 20 hits a day, with peaks over 40, and I'm writing less that once a week. My infrequency is due to lack of time. Given how many people are reading so little here, I'm wondering if anyone else suffers the same problem. :-)