WIRED FOR WEIRD

Our 21st-century lives could be on the brink of being turned upside down by historic breakthroughs in computing technology.

- CHRIS HALL

Science fiction has been playing around with the idea of parallel worlds for a long time now. In the 20th century, writers such as Frederik Pohl, Michael Moorcock and Philip K Dick fashioned cracking yarns around the concept. Television shows such as Star Trek, Red Dwarf and, more recently, Rick and Morty have explored its more surreal potential. Then there is the modern version of the Marvel multiverse, and the movies of Christopher Nolan, which have introduced a whole new generation to quantum mechanics.

These days, even teenagers are aware that this mind-bending branch of physics is based on the theory of how atoms and subatomic particles behave. It’s a world full of deeply weird and counterintuitive phenomena, but it’s not just useful for cinematic blockbusters – it also has practical applications that could yet transform the 21st century.

The first quantum revolution gave us lasers, silicon chips, transistors, GPS and semiconductor devices – the foundation of modern computing and communications. The potential of new developments in quantum computing opens up an entirely new vista – not only as a tool to better understand the nature of reality but also one that could revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry, finance, cryptography, gene sequencing, data searches, weather and traffic modelling, clinical care and medical research, and a whole host of other applications.

Alex Garland’s thought-provoking mini-series