Probability vs Certainty and the Core of Quantum Processing
Growing up in the United States in the late 20th century, I was steeped in binary thinking. From the two-party political system to the good guys, bad guys narrative, cowboys and Indians, true and false; yes or no was the answer to every question. This accelerated with the introduction of the home computer, functioning, at its core, on a series of switches that opened and closed circuits. If it wasn’t on, it was off. Got it? Good.
But certainty does not exist outside of these man-made constructs—with the exception of dead and alive. The natural world is full of possibilities distributing themselves probabilistically over a curve. Quantum is the word we use to describe these probabilistic environments. Quantum Theory seeks to describe the world around us as a series of probabilistic curves. My favorite part of studying these curves are the secondary uncertainties overlaid at each point on the graph. It highlights the complexity of, and captures our ability to understand the world around us using math.
The challenge is this is historically in conflict with our need to feel safe. In that sense, quantum processing is a threat to our way of life. See humans seek to control and tame the wild uncertainties of nature. It is critical for our survival. Our certainty is shelter from the elements in the form of clothing, roofs, and walls. Without these shelters, we live shorter lives and experience greater discomforts. Anything that puts this quality of life at risk is a threat. This is the conflict of man versus nature at it core. It is a conflict of probability versus certainty.
Regardless of where you sit in the cosmos, we are all moving away from the certainties of binary thinking and toward the possibilities of quantum processing. Each of us alone must break from the chains of binary thought and embrace the discomfort if we want to thrive in this new world. This summarized perfectly in Gil Scott Heron famous words, “The revolution will not be televised.”