The Europeans and the Americans are not throwing $10 billion down this gigantic tube for nothing. We're exploring the very forefront of physics and cosmology with the Large Hadron Collider because we want to have a window on creation, we want to recreate a tiny piece of Genesis to unlock some of the greatest secrets of the universe.
Until computers and robots make quantum advances, they basically remain adding machines: capable only of doing things in which all the variables are controlled and predictable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Computers and robots are limited in their capabilities until they achieve significant advancements, particularly in handling unpredictable variables.
In this quote, Michio Kaku emphasizes the current limitations of computers and robots, which function primarily as advanced calculators or 'adding machines'. He suggests that for true advancement in artificial intelligence and robotics to occur, these machines must evolve to manage unpredictability and operate effectively in complex, real-world situations. The statement highlights the gap between present technological capabilities and future possibilities, underscoring the need for leaps in quantum computing and machine learning.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a tech conference, you could start your speech by saying, 'As Michio Kaku points out, until computers and robots make quantum advances, they remain just adding machines.'
More from Michio Kaku
All quotes βCancer is like the common cold; there are so many different types. In the future we'll still have cancer, but we'll detect it very, very early, so that it won't kill anybody. We'll zap it at the molecular level decades before it grows into a tumor.
When you look at the calculation, it's amazing that every time you try to prove or disprove time travel, you've pushed Einstein's theory to the very limits where quantum effects must dominate. That's telling us that you really need a theory of everything to resolve this question. And the only candidate is string theory.
Consciousness-one level is understanding where we are in space. Consciousness two is where we understand our position in society: who's top dog, who's underdog and who's in the middle. And type-three consciousness is simulating the future. And type-three consciousness, only humans have this ability to see far into the future.
Some advice: keep the flame of curiosity and wonderment alive, even when studying for boring exams. That is the well from which we scientists draw our nourishment and energy. And also, learn the math. Math is the language of nature, so we have to learn this language.
After that cancellation [of the Superconducting Super Collider in Texas, after $2 billion had been spent on it], we physicists learned that we have to sing for our supper. ... The Cold War is over. You can't simply say "Russia!" to Congress, and they whip out their checkbook and say, "How much?" We have to tell the people why this atom-smasher is going to benefit their lives.
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Technological discoveries are the spermatozoa of social change.
The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've been discriminated against.
What we are finding out now is that there are not only limits to growth but also to technology and that we cannot allow technology to go on without public consent.
Young people do not watch television; they are on the Internet.