Harnessing quantum technology will have enormous benefits for the UK’s defence sector and will enable ships to better detect enemy submarines, Britain's Science Minister has said.
George Freeman said the Conservative government had identified the quantum field as one of the “really hot technologies” where more action and investment is needed to propel innovation and encourage advancements.
During a discussion about how to unleash the UK as a “science superpower through quantum technologies” at London Tech Week, Mr Freeman used an analogy about the game Battleships to explain how quantum could transform Britain’s military capabilities.
If the Royal Navy’s warships were fitted with such technology, it could mean the difference between them being able to hit an enemy’s underwater vessel and a total miss.
“Quantum will send a sensor through the oceans in nanoseconds which will tell you exactly, or roughly, where the submarine is,” Mr Freeman said.
“It might not immediately draw the sharp line at it but it will tell you exactly where it is."
Battleships, the popular boardgame, is played on rules of grid on which each player’s fleet of warships are marked. The location of the fleets are concealed from other players, who take turns to ‘call shots’ at their opponent’s vessels. The objective of the game is to destroy your opponent’s hidden fleet.
“I use that definition because it immediately gets everyone in the cabinet thinking, ‘hang on, this is going to have massive applications in defence, in quantum encryption, in a whole raft of fields’.
“So, it is a cross-government technology and part of what we’re doing in our strategy is getting every department to think ‘front foot, back foot, attack and defence, what might this do for us? What are the opportunities and what are the challenges?’”
Britain is home to a “great ecosystem” of companies involved in quantum technology, including Fujitsu, Toshiba and BT, and start-ups, Mr Freeman said.
The government is committed to continue its investment in the national quantum computing centre and improving quantum skills, he added.
Quantum technology works by using the principles of quantum mechanics, including quantum entanglement and quantum superposition.
It exploits unique properties of quantum physics to achieve functionality and performance that cannot be achieved using classical physics.
Parts in computers and MRI scanners are examples of first-generation quantum technology.
Experts say a second revolution of quantum is around the corner, which will make novel and revolutionary technology available.
By using the technology, the location of objects can be measured very precisely.
Given its potential, quantum has been identified as a key emerging technology by Nato.
The transatlantic military alliance said in the future quantum sensors could be used to detect stealth aircraft and also for position, navigation and timing (PNT).
“Such ‘quantum PNT devices’ could be used as reliable inertial navigation systems, which enable navigation without the need for external references such as GPS,” a 2021 report from quantum expert Michiel van Amerongen said.
The UK Quantum Technology Hub has said the development of new technology that will enable the detection of stealth objects will be a “game changer for the defence industry”.
Stephanie Simmons, co-chair of the advisory council to Canada’s national quantum strategy, told London Tech Week that the fast-advancing technology is “used synonymously with the word magic”.
Dr Simmons said quantum is “transformational and it will unlock opportunities that can’t be accomplished any other way”.
Mr Freeman said technology cycles have halved since he was first elected as an MP in 2010.
“If that wasn’t happening, I think our economy would be a bit stuck, but it is happening and we got a chance to harness it and anchor here [the] extraordinary pace of growth in new technologies,” he said.
He said there is enormous excitement about the future of the technology sector.
“I genuinely think we’re on the cusp of the most extraordinary decade, two decades of huge investment, huge prosperity and opportunities driven by some really obvious things [such as] the pace of technology,” he added.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
THREE
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What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
