Book Review: Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything by Michio Kaku
I was greatly impressed by the last Michio Kaku book I read, The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything, because it evoked an overwhelming sense of wonder, delving into such fascinating subjects as the theory of gravitation, the theory of relativity, quantum theory, and string theory and then taking off from these ideas into a look at black holes, wormholes, dark matter, time travel, and the creation of the universe. In my review, I conclude that “the book ends in uncertainty. Unfortunately, the God equation has not yet been discovered and experimentally proved.” I did not mind the enigmatic conclusion, though, because I had such an entertainingly wild ride along the way. However, Quantum Supremacy I have mixed feelings about.
The book’s focus is the quantum computer and how it could possibly help solve some of the most pressing problems facing humankind, but the uncertainty factor is even more pronounced than in The God Equation. Perhaps this is because in this one Kaku intends to offer practical solutions to real world dilemmas, whereas in The God Equation the premise is more philosophical, or even metaphysical.
As in the previous book, I admit that I do not understand much of the detailed explanations, as I have never studied mathematics or physics or any other advanced science in depth. That’s not a deal-breaker, though, concerning my interest in and grasp of Kaku’s broader explanations. It is intriguing, for instance, that while he is giving a brief history of the basics of quantum physics he explains the background behind the concept of parallel universes and how they relate to the entanglement of particles that makes quantum computers possible. The ultimate takeaway, however, is that although intensive research is going on by governments and high-powered tech companies, quantum computers, which Kaku feels will eventually render digital computers obsolete, are still in the early stages of their growth.
The second part of the book delves into the possible uses to which fully functioning quantum computers, with their incredibly rapid calculating abilities, could be put. To accomplish this, Kaku delves in detail into the overwhelming difficulties facing researchers attempting, for instance, to create fertilizers capable of growing a sufficient amount of crops to feed the growing human population; find cures for baffling diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Covid-19, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and others; arrest and even reverse aging itself, leading to a drastic lengthening of the human lifespan and maybe even immortality; mitigate global warming; and harness fusion power. These are all complex dilemmas that have been baffling and frustrating researchers for decades, even centuries. Unfortunately, Kaku offers no possible solutions to any of them. After elaborate explanations about the present state of research, his only conclusion in each case is that quantum computers might be able to help solve this. His rationale is that the ability of quantum computers to calculate at presently-impossible speeds will make the tedious process of laboratory research redundant. This all sounds like an elegant solution to some of our age-old problems, but remember that the summary of every conclusion he comes to includes the words “maybe” or “might.”
At its heart, then, this book is mainly speculative. But it is important to keep in mind that the speculation is based on a solid background of quantum physics, at least as much as is known of it as of 2023 when the book came out. The fact is that much uncertainty remains in these cutting-edge frontiers of science, and I am thankful to Kaku for giving me an overview of what’s currently happening in these exciting endeavors.
