Nature. In an experiment, I don't know yet. Why is Blight so far? Like, it sounds so simple.

They had no idea. But now the data's... I find this not only refreshing, but at some level astounding.

Nature.

Welcome back to the Nature podcast.

This week we'll be finding out about another step forward in the world of quantum computing.

And learning about labour division in ant colonies.

I'm Charmany Bundell.

And I'm Benjamin Thompson.

First up on the show this week, reporter Adam Levy has been getting entangled in the story of a

computer running a rather unusual simulation. Picture a computer.

Now I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you are probably thinking of your laptop

or maybe even your smartphone if you're being smart about it.

There's a good chance you weren't thinking of a quantum computer.

These hulking supercooled machines can take up the best part of a room, but still aren't capable

of doing anything that a regular computer can't.

Even so, there's something fundamental about quantum computers that could one day give them

an advantage.

A bit, which is the kind of fundamental building block of any computer program,

is a binary digit, which is just a zero or a one.

This is computer scientist Andrew King.

But the building blocks of quantum computers aren't bits.

Instead, quantum computers use qubits.

...