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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.
Michio Kaku
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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

ComputersRobotsTechnologyAdvancementQuantumPredictability

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.'

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Cancer 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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