Cryptographic algorithms are what keep us safe online, protect our privacy, and ensure the transfer of information.
But many experts fear that quantum computers could one day break these algorithms, leaving us vulnerable to attacks from hackers and cheaters. And those quantum computers could be ready sooner than many think.
That’s why there’s serious work underway to design new kinds of algorithms that are resistant to even the most powerful quantum computers we can imagine. Read our emerging journalist Tammy Xu’s full story about how quantum-resistant algorithms are being developed — and what happens next.
Here’s part of Tech Review Explains: where our writers untangle the complicated, messy world of technology to help you better understand what happens next. Check out our other smart explainers here.
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Things to read
I scoured the internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/striking stories about tech.
1 Google lost the EU antitrust challenge
It was fined more than 4 billion euros after it was found to be abusing Android system dominance. (Reuters)
+ The company was unable to appeal the charge that was first announced in 2018. (The Verge)
+ South Korea has fined Google and Facebook for privacy violations. (FT $)
2 The US economy is not out of the woods yet
Inflation has not fallen the way investors had hoped. (Economist $)
3 Someone is digging through the dirt on the whistleblower Twitter
Whoever is behind it will be willing to pay – but his former colleagues are keeping the schtum. (New Yorkers $)
+ Peiter ‘Mudge’ Zatko’s Senate testimony doesn’t adorn Twitter in a good way. (WP $)
+ In fact, it is the covetousness of senators for stricter regulations. (Bloomberg $)
4 What robot surgeons and self-driving cars have in common
We are still reluctant to trust them with life or death decisions. (Magazine worth knowing)
+ Robotic-assisted high-precision surgery has passed its first human trial. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Hard lessons learned from the California wildfires
And the role of power companies in exacerbating them. (Vox)
+ Gene-edited crops could benefit from severe drought in Europe. (Wired $)
6 Brain Scans Can’t Diagnose Mental Conditions
However, some scientists hope that they may help support recovery. (Slate $)
+ The quest to find out if mutations in our brains affect mental health. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Inside the memeization of the culture wars
The online game of tropes has mobilized huge groups to the point of rebellion. (Atlantic $)
Elon Musk’s 8 biggest fans are moving to Texas
To get as close to the SpaceX action as possible. (The Verge)
+ No one else at SpaceX can access Musk’s email. (The Verge)
9 Ways to Turn Personal Tragedy into Content
Eva Benefield’s t-shirt business is thriving after her dark past. (Input)
10 America is prioritizing bringing the moon back
Despite the difficulty of sending humans back there. (New Scientist $)
+ Ukrainian astronomers continuously discovered countless UFOs. (Motherboard)
Quote of the day
