"Why We Should Be Skeptical of Quantum Computing"
Dr Alan Kadin
Former (Retired) Professor of Electrical Engineering
University of Rochester
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Center for Nursing and Health Studies – NHS 403
(Dr Kadin will make the presentation remotely via Zoom)
Members of the Fairfield University community are welcome to join the class in NHS 403 or to view the lecture via Zoom at the following link:
https://Fairfield.zoom.us/j/98594106849?pwd=qo7bJYNUlal7lU5jmqcWfmZTbNWqGq.1
Quantum Computing is widely believed to represent the future of computing. But how much of this is real, and how much is hype? Dr. Kadin argues that, on the contrary, there is no useful quantum computing now, and there probably never will be. Despite the future promises, technological development, and financial investments, the technology is fundamentally flawed for two major reasons, both theoretical and practical. First, the promises are based on the theory of massive quantum entanglement, which has never been demonstrated in real experiments. Second, even if the theory is correct, practical implementation would require mutual coupling of hundreds of quantum bits (qubits), which are exquisitely sensitive to noise. So you can never build a computer on a scale that would solve useful computations better than conventional computers. These conjectures may be tested in practical experiments.
Dr. Kadin has worked in Superconducting Devices for his entire career, since his PhD in Physics from Harvard. He was a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester, and a Senior Scientist at Hypres, Inc. He is the author of a textbook, "Introduction to Superconducting Circuits".