A peer-reviewed Nature critique argues that Microsoft’s 2025 Majorana quantum-computing breakthrough – and its claim that it could enable “a truly meaningful quantum computer not in decades, as some have predicted, but in years” – is fundamentally flawed. According to Dr Henry Legg, a lecturer at the University of St Andrews, the claims were undermined by omitted data, selective plotting, and basic Python errors that concealed alternative results. Microsoft, for its part, says the bugs were minor and stands by its findings and roadmap.

  • ryper@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    9 hours ago

    “Boffin” made me think the slashdot post is about a post at The Register, and sure enough, it is.

      • ryper@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 hours ago

        No, it’s a British term The Register uses a lot. From Wikipedia:

        Boffin is a British slang term for a scientist, engineer, or other person engaged in technical or scientific research and development. A “boffin” was viewed by some in the regular military or government services as odd, quirky or peculiar, though quite bright and essential to helping in the war effort through having and developing the key ideas leading to transformative military capabilities.