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At the first International Quantum Communication Conclave, being held in New Delhi from March 27 to 28, 2023, Union Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India's first quantum computing-based telecommunications network link is now operational in the national capital.

On the first day of the conclave, Vaishnaw said that the quantum computing-based telecommunications network link is now operational between Sanchar Bhawan and the National Informatics Centre office, which is located in the Central Government Offices (CGO) Complex in New Delhi, news agency PTI reported.

Vaishnaw also announced that ethical hackers who can break the encryption of the quantum secure communication link will be awarded a prize money of Rs 10 lakh.

The system is developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a telecommunications technology development centre under the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India.

Vaishnaw also inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms and invited those firms to run pilot projects for communications networks and the Indian Railways.

The minister said that today, quantum computing is the new frontier of telecommunications technology for security purposes, news agency ANI reported.

Vaishnaw explained that during the conclave, which will continue till March 28, many collaborations will take place.

The minister said that over the past eight years, the entire telecommunications sector has transformed under the vision and focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What is quantum computing?

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging new-generation technology that involves a class of computers 158 million times faster than the most sophisticated supercomputer in the world, and harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems too difficult for classical computers, and deliver huge leaps forward in processing power. Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that explains nature on the scale of atoms, and has resulted in advances such as transistors, lasers, and magnetic resonance imaging, since its emergence in the early 1990s. While classical computers generate bits, a quantum computer has the ability to generate and manipulate quantum bits, or qubits.

Bits are electrical or optical pulses representing zeroes (0s) and ones (1s). Most computers work with zeroes and ones, also known as binary information.

A qubit is a quantum bit, the counterpart in quantum computing to the binary digit of classical computing, and is the basic unit of a quantum computer. A qubit is made out of a quantum system, like an electron or photon.

A traditional bit can only be a one or zero. However, a qubit can be a one, a zero, or both at the same time, according to a study published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Since a qubit can be a one and a zero at the same time, a quantum computer does not have to wait for one process to end before it can begin another.

ALSO READ | Quantum Computing: What Is It? How Is It Different From Classical Computing? How Does It Work?

The importance of quantum security

In recent years, cyber crimes have increased to a great extent, making cybersecurity an utmost priority for the technology and telecommunications industries. While online communication makes people's lives easier, it comes with a lot of drawbacks, which include the lack of secure communication.

The traditional key-based cryptography has become vulnerable for cyber attacks because hackers have adequate computing power to retrieve the key from the encrypted text in real-time.

The most shocking aspect of communication prone to cyber attacks is that the person sending or receiving the message is unaware of the lack of security.

Therefore, in the cases where hackers or intruders retrieve encrypted data, an alert on the infringement sent to the receiver can help prevent further damage.

Such alerts can be sent with the help of quantum computing.

While quantum computers provide the computing power required to break key-based secure communications systems, post-quantum cryptography can protect channels from cyber attacks.

At the first International Quantum Communication Conclave, experts will deliver key insights on quantum computing. The conclave is an opportunity for collaboration among participants to enable them to work on advanced quantum technologies.

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Ethical Hackers Who Break Indias First Quantum Communication Link In New Delhi To Receive 10 Lakh: Telecom Minister - ABP Live

On February 18, 2023, the Mainichi Shimbun, English edition, claimed that "live animal testing" in Japan "drags" behind the rest of the world. That world, according to the Mainichi article, means Europe and the United States. The Mainichi article asserted that, in animal research in Japan, animals are "still subject to needless pain and sacrifice." It also asserted that this is a "situation that seems unlikely to change any time soon."

Furthermore, according to the article, Europe and the United States espouse a "widely accepted" concept "of animals' right to life," implying Western moral superiority compared to Japan. Since Japan allegedly has little or no regard for animal welfare, particularly regarding animals used for biomedical research, the Japanese are morally deficient.

Read part one: Beyond the Propaganda, Animal Testing Helps Save Lives

A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the article called for a "constructive debate." Yet readers do not see anything resembling a "constructive debate." There were quotes from a middle school student buying "cruelty free" cosmetics and a university veterinarian, who mumbled something about "animal welfare" but did not point out PETA's own pathetic animal welfare record.

What does PETA believe? "Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." PETA's leadership has demanded outlawing pet ownership as well as the use of animals in biomedical research.

Based on these stated principles, what is their ultimate goal?

PETA's goal seems to be a world squarely divided into an animal one and a human one. Yet, how is this likely, given the abundance of both visible and non-visible animals that surround humans every day?

Animal rights groups claim that animals have "rights". What rights are these? Animals, they will state, have a "right to life" and a life "free from pain and suffering." Put humans aside, as they are indeed at the apex of the food pyramid, and will animals experience even less pain and suffering?

Anyone who has seen animals in the wild knows that their lives are far from soft and cushy. Under any circumstance, an adult murdering a child is abhorrent. Adult nonhuman animals do kill and sometimes eat their offspring. Have animal "rights" groups filed murder charges against adult animals on behalf of murdered offspring?

Given that the Mainichi Shimbun neglected to elaborate what PETA has in mind for humankind, what are readers to make of the other claims in its article?

The Mainichi made a broad claim that Europeans and Americans "widely accept" "animals' right to life" and "a number of companies" have "stated their opposition" to the use of animals in "research and development of cosmetics and medical products." However, it failed to point out that, in Japan as well as in the US, regulators review safety data before cosmetics and pharmaceuticals are allowed to be sold.

With respect to cosmetics, US regulators have allowed not only safety data obtained from living animals (in vivo) but also previous data for previously approved compounds and safety data obtained from tissue culture (in vitro) and from computer simulations (in silico). Thereby, they allow replacing and reducing the use of laboratory animals.

In Japan, too, both the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have sought greater use of in silico and in vitro methods to obtain mandated safety data. The Mainichi casts aspersions upon the Japanese, but the Japanese, like Westerners, do appreciate an animal's "right to life."

Most Japanese readily perceive the necessity of biomedical studies utilizing animals according to a 2019 poll of Japanese peoples' attitudes towards the use of animals for biomedical research. At the same time, many express "pity" for experimental animals and concern for pain during procedures.

Most Japanese back improvements in laboratory animal welfare and greater disclosure from scientists concerning the purpose of their biomedical studies. At the same time, only a small minority are interested in supporting a "social movement for abolition and reduction of animal experiments."

Thus, the Japanese are more than eager to learn more and, unlike Westerners, not easily swayed by emotional platitudes.

Revelations of German physicians performing inhumane experiments on people without their consent during the Nazi era led to the creation of a written 10-point guideline for ethical human clinical studies. Some points include obtaining informed, voluntary consent prior to study initiation, clear study objectives and the avoidance of "unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury."

Highly relevant is point number three: "The experiment should be so designed and based on the results of animal experimentation and a knowledge of the natural history of the disease or other problem under study that the anticipated results will justify the performance of the experiment."

The use of animals for scientific purposes is neither a luxury nor frivolous it is necessary.

The nuts and bolts of laboratory animal welfare varies across the European Union, United States and Japan. But all are based on the universal principle of the "3R's": replacement, reduction, and refinement. Respectively, those mean identifying potentially suitable alternatives for live animals, using the least number of animals without compromising study validity, and improving upon current methods to minimize pain and distress.

The level of government involvement varies across countries as well. In turn, that affects the content and operation of laboratory animal welfare programs within each country.

On one hand, studies in the EU involving animals are regulated at multiple levels by law. The institution, including universities and companies in which studies are conducted, individual researchers and animal study protocols must be authorized by government agencies.

An EU Directive spells out requirements for the care and housing of laboratory animals, from amphibians, birds, and rodents to nonhuman primates and large domesticated animals. Institutions that use animals for scientific purposes are required to have an in-house animal welfare body that oversees the institution's laboratory animal care and use program.

Ultimately, the EU aims to end "all animal research" and replace it with "non-animal methods of research."

In the United States, the use of laboratory animals is regulated at the institutional level. Institutions that receive federal funds are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, which includes specifications on housing, sufficient and documented veterinary care and pre-review of study plans involving laboratory animals.

While individuals and laboratory groups do not face EU-style licensing in the US, institutions must document that animal care and use staff (including visiting scientists, students and heads of labs) are trained and knowledgeable not only in their specific tasks related to animal use but also in the principles of laboratory animal welfare.

Government agencies can and do inspect institutions and their laboratory animal welfare programs for compliance in both the EU and the US. In addition, there are non-governmental animal welfare organizations that do the same, following local laws and official guidelines.

Japan offers a unique approach in regulating laboratory animal welfare. That is to place the burden on individuals involved in the care and use of laboratory animals. While Japan does have laws and official guidelines regarding the humane use of laboratory animals, they are not as onerous as those of the EU and US.

Indeed, the role of the state in regulating laboratory animal welfare greatly varies between China, South Korea and Japan. Institutions and individuals in Japan could conceivably set up their own laboratory animal welfare standards. However, with the assistance of national professional associations, such as the Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science, veterinarian groups, such as the Japanese College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, and international organizations, Japanese institutions can benchmark their laboratory animal welfare programs against those of the EU and US.

Contrary to the Mainichi's claims, Japanese institutions do not "drag" behind Western institutions.

The poll mentioned earlier demonstrating substantial acceptance of the use of animals for scientific purposes by the Japanese public also showed a sizable number of those who are undecided, neither for nor opposed. Thus, professional and veterinarian associations in Japan should increase their efforts to clearly elaborate the importance of animals for scientific purposes and that laboratory animal welfare standards in Japan match, or even exceed, those of the West.

Furthermore, it should be pointed out that Japanese commitment to laboratory animal welfare is motivated not by mandates, but by a robust personal conviction.

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Author: Aldric Hama, PhD

Find other reports and analysis by Dr Hama here, on JAPAN Forward.

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The Nuts, Bolts and Ethics of Animal Research in the Global Search for Cures - JAPAN Forward

CLEVELAND, Ohio A shiny cylinder hanging upside down in a clear cube has put Cleveland at the forefront of quantum computing and medical innovation.

The cylinder is the IBM Quantum System One, an advanced quantum computer that can handle large amounts of data at lightning speeds. The Cleveland Clinic on Monday hosted a ribbon-cutting and reception to unveil the IBM Quantum System One in its new home on the Clinics main campus.

It is the first quantum computer in the world uniquely dedicated to healthcare research.

The Clinic will use the most advanced computational platform in the world to advance discoveries in medicine and health care, identify new medicines and treatments more quickly, and create jobs in technology, Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic said.

The IBM Quantum System One is the first private sector IBM-managed quantum computer in the United States.

This puts Cleveland on the cutting edge of anything happening on the planet, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted said after cutting a ceremonial ribbon in front of the quantum computer with other dignitaries. About 200 leaders from the Clinic, politics, IBM, philanthropy and other sectors attended the reception.

The unveiling of the IBM quantum computer is a key milestone in a 10-year partnership between the Clinic and IBM, called the Discovery Accelerator. The partnership, first announced in 2021, is focused on advancing biomedical research through the use of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, the Clinic said.

Husted recalled how he urged Clinic leaders to ask IBM for a quantum computer when he visited Cleveland for the presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and Joe Biden in 2020.

Literally, this is the coolest thing on the planet, Husted said, referring to the quantum computers super-cooled interior. It can solve some of the most complex healthcare questions right here in Cleveland and Ohio.

Other dignitaries in attendance included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research Dario Gil, and IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn.

Quantum computing, which is still in development, is a new type of computing that is based on quantum phenomenon, not ones and zeros in a conventional computer. It will be able to crunch larger amounts of data at speeds that regular computers cant match.

Here is an explainer from Technology Review: Quantum machines are so powerful because they harness quantum bits, or qubits. Unlike classical bits, which represent either a 1 or a 0, qubits can be in a kind of combination of both at the same time. Thanks to other quantum phenomena, which are described in our explainer here, quantum computers can crunch large amounts of data in parallel that conventional machines have to work through sequentially. Scientists have been working for years to demonstrate that the machines can definitively outperform conventional ones.

The Clinics quantum computer is about three feet in diameter and five feet long.

Inside the quantum computers cylinder, qubits are arranged on a processor chip. Microwave packets of energy alter the qubits state to change the information that they store.

The microwave packets of energy are then sent through metallic tubes arrayed to look like a chandelier, explained Dr. Lara Jehi, chief research information officer for the Clinic.

The packets of energy travel to the quantum computers processor chip, which is cooled to temperatures near absolute zero in order to make them stable and able to hold information, Jehi said.

A researcher anywhere on the Clinic campus can communicate with the quantum computer using a conventional computer loaded with special software. Answers are translated back to ones and zeros, and sent to the conventional computer.

In a 2019 research paper, researchers at Google said its quantum computer could run a computation in 200 seconds that would take the worlds largest supercomputers 10,000 years to complete. Googles paper was published in the journal Nature.

At the Clinic, quantum computing will be used for chemical simulations for finding new molecules for drug use, understanding complex systems and sequencing genes in cancer cells, Jehi said previously.

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Cleveland Clinic unveils IBM quantum computer; partnership aims to accelerate healthcare innovation - cleveland.com

In the United Kingdom, all stars are aligning for the space industry to advance, including an active venture capital community, a government cognizant of space techs potential, and close collaboration. Add advancements in emerging technologies, like quantum computing, into the mix, and its potential ignites.

Joshua Western, CEO and co-founder of Wales-based space manufacturing startup Space Forge believes space to be the most important research frontier of our time. He sees space-based technologies as having a profound impact on everything from fighting cancer to developing alloys, semiconductors, electronics, and fibre optics. Its going to offer so many opportunities for so many different people to experiment, to research, and to really accelerate whatever it is that they might be working in on the ground, he says.

Space technologies are taking off in the UK, alongside other emerging technologies like quantum computing. I dont think theres a way we can do comprehensive space research and travel, if you like, without quantum technology, explains Simon Phillips, chief technology officer at Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC). Its just too much to calculate.

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I think itll be very soon that when we talk about space technology it will always include quantum, says Phillips. Enabling space technology to include quantum, he explains, involves building ground-based systems that are capable of processing lots and lots of quantum information in ways that we never knew were possible before.

In the near term, quantum technologies could assist space R&D efforts such as mission scheduling, materials discovery, and studies on how space travel affects the space environment. Solving the issue of space debris is an area that might sound trite, but, as Phillips notes, its actually a bit of a problem. Quantum, he explains, can model space debris removal hundreds and hundreds of years into the future.

Longer term, quantum technologies could enhance our understanding of how people may be affected by their time in space. We have data on Mars, and we have data on humans, but we dont have an understanding of the interaction between those environments, says Phillips. With quantum, he says, we could work out how to protect people working in space, something he considers to be a critical issue.

As applications of quantum computing in space continue to grow, so too does the UKs space startup ecosystem.

Space Forge, for example, is developing a manufacturing hub that will travel in and out of Earths atmosphere. They will only produce goods in space that lead to a net positive benefit on the ground, says Western. He notes the various advantages of working within space, including a purified environment, lower pressure, extreme temperatures, and reduced carbon emissions. You can access plus or minus 250C, he says.

Meanwhile, radiation rays from the sun could be employed for lithography in making semiconductors. Despite sounding like something straight out of science fiction, all the technologies that are essential for this already exist, says Western.

Another notable UK space startup is Lumi Space. With support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency, Lumi Space is building the worlds first global, commercial satellite laser ranging service, which will enable safe, sustainable space exploration. Its technologys applications include collision avoidance, debris removal, and constellation management.

OQC offers the only commercially available quantum computer in the UK. If youre a space startup, you dont need to own a quantum computer, says Phillips. Part of what we do at OQC is put our contributions into colocation data centers, so were connected directly to everyones business.

The UKs space industry has blossomed in recent years, in part because the country acts as a bridge between the U.S. and Europe. Many EU-headquartered space companies have set up an office in the UK to be able to not only work with the UK, but to do better work with the States, says Western.

The UKs space and quantum industries have also received strong support from its government, which in 2022 pledged 1.84 billion to fund space programs and initiatives such as the UK-built Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover that is set to launch in 2028. The government also just announced 2.5 billion in funding to support quantum technologies in the UK for the next decade, as part of the National Quantum Strategy. The government also just announced 2.5 billion in funding to support quantum technologies in the UK for the next decade, as part of the National Quantum Strategy.

Various government departments offer support to companies looking to innovate in the space sector. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), for example, facilitates fellowships, grants and loans for companies engaging with space science and quantum technologies.

And, bridging and supporting both the quantum and space industries, is the International Network in Space Quantum Technologies, a community of scientists and engineers funded by UKRI and the UK Engineering Physical Sciences and Engineering Council. In addition to hosting workshops and meetings, it organizes and funds research exchanges between its members.

And the UK also offers tax credits for any company looking to advance science or technology in new ways. When you are not profit generating, the ability for your R&D tax credits to be refunded to you, to enable you to carry out more R&D, is an absolute lifeline, explains Western.

Although government support is strong for the advancement of space and quantum technologies, there is a talent gap in both areas. Across STEM sectors as a whole, there is difficulty filling 43% of roles. There are several reasons for this gap.

People simply dont know that there is a space industry in the UK, says Western, who was employee number 50 at the UK Space Agency when it formed just over a decade ago.

In addition to generating awareness about the countrys space efforts, Western says its important to demonstrate that skilled individuals are supported to take the leap from one industry into another.

Very few of our team are from the space industry, says Western. Space Forge routinely recruits talent with expertise outside of space in areas like semiconductors, plasma and particle physics, and robotics.

For companies looking to use quantum computing to bolster their space R&D efforts, the same questions about talent recruitment exist. You would immediately assume that everything you do requires a PhD in quantum physics, and thats definitely not the case, says Phillips. He adds that quantum computers will only gain power and utility if people know how to use them. That starts with letting people play with quantum computers today to their hearts content.

In the UK, government support is propelling a thriving industry and allowing investors to contribute to new frontiers of science. Were talking about technologies that are like a light bulb to a candle, says Phillips. Its not going to happen by chance.

To see things differently, choose the UK. The Department for Business and Trade can connect you with dedicated, professional assistance to locate R&D investment opportunities and support. Get in touch to be connected with our R&D sector and investment experts.

This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

Excerpt from:
Innovation in the space industry takes off - MIT Technology Review

A render of a quantum computer

Shutterstock / Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski Source: Shutterstock

A superconducting ink that can be printed onto surfaces in a single-molecule-thick layer could prove useful for the building of circuits for quantum computers. The tungsten disulfide ink is more stable than other superconducting inks and it is simpler to make, which bodes well for future applications.

Whena material is superconductive, electricity can pass through it with zero resistance, making it an extraordinarily efficient way to transmit energy. Superconductive materials also have special magnetic properties, but they tend to be difficult to make and they break down when exposed to air or to temperatures too far from absolute zero.

Xiaoyu Song and Leslie Schoop at Princeton University and their colleagues produced the tungsten disulfide ink using a process called chemical exfoliation. They started out with a material made of alternating layers of tungsten disulfide and potassium. Imagine that you have a crepe cake you have all these crepes stacked on top of each other and in between you have the cream filling. The tungsten disulfide is the crepe and the potassium is the filling, says Song. When the layered material is placed into diluted sulphuric acid, it is similar to dunking a crepe cake in water: the potassium dissolves away, and only the thin layers of tungsten disulfide remain.

When the acid and remnants of potassium were rinsed away, the researchers were left with thin layers of tungsten suspended in water. This solution could then be printed onto a glass, plastic or silicon substrate, forming a layer of tungsten disulfide justone molecule thick.

The printed pattern remained stable at ambient conditions, with no protective container or coating, for at least 30 days. When it was frozen to temperatures below 7.3 kelvin (-266C), even after being left in the open for a while, the ink became superconductive. You could carry it around or install it at room temperature, and then you just have to freeze it, says Schoop. Youd need liquid helium, though you couldnt do it in your home freezer, unfortunately.

This process is much simpler than those that have been used for other superconducting inks, which have required protective layers to keep them fromdegradingover time. That could make it easier to produce this ink industrially, although its temperature requirement blocks off some potential applications. It could still be practical in things that are already cooled down, like in quantum computers or MRI machines where you already cool down your systems a lot, says Schoop. In the future, the researchers hope that this method could be used to create inks that aresuperconductiveat higher temperatures.

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Ultra-thin superconducting ink could be used in quantum computers - New Scientist