Quantum computers and power: Is the Infinite Improbability Drive slightly less improbable now?

Last week's virtual demo of D-Wave's proof-of-concept quantum computer has of course been greeted with quite a bit of skepticism. Regardless, any developments that increase our knowledge – or simply serve to emphasize our lack of knowledge – about the entanglement of quantum particles is a Good Thing.

But enough about quantum physics – what about the power needs of the alleged quantum computer? Our Man in the Field Steve Leibson provides some details: "It takes 20kW to keep the SQUID chip at 4 mK using liquid helium Dewar and the diffusion refrigerator. The actual power needed to run the quantum computing element is quite low, however, because it's a superconductor. How low? Dr. Rose wasn't specific, but I suspect it's operating power is a rounding error compared to the cooling budget. It's not a complete inversion from conventional computing, because I suspect waste power and heat removal probably consumes roughly half of a conventional computer's power budget (at 90nm, a logic chip's static power dissipation just doing nothing equals its dynamic power dissipation)."

No discussion of quantum computers is complete without a reference to the Infinite Improbability Drive presciently described by Douglas Adams in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". I will close with this Adams quote from Hitchhikers (which I hope to goodness is short enough to squeak by under Fair Use):

"The Infinite Improbability Drive is a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a few seconds; without all that tedious mucking about in hyperspace. As the Improbability Drive reaches infinite improbability, it passes through every conceivable point in every conceivable universe almost simultaneously. In other words, you're never sure where you'll end up or even what species you'll be when you get there. It's therefore important to dress accordingly. The Infinite Improbability Drive was invented following research into finite improbability which was often used to break the ice at parties by making all the molecules in the hostess' undergarments leap one foot simultaneously to the left in accordance with the theory of indeterminacy. Many respectful physicists said they wouldn't go to stand for that sort of thing, partly because it was a debasement of science, but mostly because they didn't get invited to those sort of parties."