August 2026 Newsletter

Quantum Computers?

No, your classical computer will not be supplanted by quantum computers anytime soon. In fact, quantum computers will be used for currently impossible tasks such as simulating molecules or detecting patterns in commerce that are not currently available. The part that keeps researchers up at night is the code-breaking ability and the security breakdowns that quantum computers could cause.

In fact, just recently there have been worries about blockchain technology being compromised by the potential ability of quantum computers to do so.

The potential positive advancements quantum computers could aid are enormous. Advancements in pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, energy, finance, and transportation could be achieved with quantum computing power. Just how powerful? It’s the difference between linear performance (classical computers) and exponential performance (quantum computers).

The beginnings of quantum theory go all the way back to early physics and very smart people coming up with theories of how anything in the universe works. Discoveries of the atom and subatomic particles came as theories long before technology made verification possible. Along came Einstein and others who famously called the entanglement of subatomic particles “spooky action at a distance.” In the wacky world of entanglement, one subatomic particle will mimic the other at a distance and instantly. The “instantly” part stumped Einstein, since his theory held that nothing is faster than the speed of light. Instead of figuring out why subatomic particles behave this way, researchers have looked for ways to harness the qubits’ unusual abilities. Research really picked up in the early 1960s when Richard Feynman, with his famous ability to communicate how subatomic particles react, really kick-started the idea of harnessing subatomic particles for computations.

Qubits are notoriously hard to manipulate and are prone to errors. One of the issues stumping researchers is how to check whether an outcome from a quantum computer is accurate. Classical computers simply can’t do it. They have come up with ingenious ways to verify outcomes and are now getting close to zeroing in on best practices. Google’s Willow chip completed a task in five minutes that a classical computer, it is estimated, would take 10 septillion years to complete.

None of this has been easy. For over 60 years the most intelligent, talented, and motivated researchers on the planet have been tackling the mission of creating a quantum computer. Jump forward to today and IBM estimates that by 2028–29 they will have a working, accurate quantum computer.

Quantum Advantage?

Quantum advantage is the point in time when a quantum computer can outperform a supercomputer more efficiently, accurately, and cost-effectively. We are not there yet. We are getting very close. Maybe it will happen in the next five years—IBM thinks so. If so, knowledge will take a giant leap forward. After all, five minutes compared to 10 septillion years is “impossible to wrap my brain around.”

Thanks, Andy McClung, CFP®

Sources: Google.com/search; IBM.com; Blueqbit.io; OECD Digital Economy Papers

2026 Market Results – 08/05/26