Quantum computation is... a distinctively new way of harnessing

Hear the voice of David Deutsch, prophet of the quantum age, who declared with awe and daring: “Quantum computation is… a distinctively new way of harnessing nature… It will be the first technology that allows useful tasks to be performed in collaboration between parallel universes.” In these words there is both wonder and mystery. For he speaks of a power unlike any before, a power not merely to command the forces of wind or fire, not merely to channel electricity or forge steel, but to draw upon the very fabric of existence—upon the parallel universes that theory tells us lie hidden, woven with our own.

The origin of this saying lies in the deep insights of quantum mechanics, that strange and unsettling science born in the twentieth century. Where classical physics saw the world as solid, predictable, and orderly, quantum theory revealed it to be full of uncertainty, duality, and possibilities branching like infinite rivers. Deutsch, philosopher as much as scientist, saw in this not confusion but opportunity: a way to turn the multiplicity of worlds into a tool. Thus he envisioned quantum computation, where problems too vast for ordinary machines might be solved by harnessing the simultaneous power of countless realities.

The ancients dreamed of such mysteries, though they lacked the words of science. In their myths they spoke of gods who walked between worlds, of oracles who glimpsed many futures, of doors that opened into realms beyond. Though clothed in legend, their tales hinted at a deep yearning—to believe that the universe was richer than what eyes alone could see. In quantum computation, this yearning takes form: machines that, through the dance of qubits, explore paths not only in this world but in others, and return with answers that no single path could reveal.

Consider, by way of illustration, the problem of breaking a great code—one so vast that a classical computer might need the lifetime of a star to unravel it. To such a task, the ordinary mind and machine are helpless. But a quantum computer, drawing upon parallel computations, may solve it in hours. It is as if an army of invisible allies, each laboring in a different world, brings its portion of the answer, until together they reveal the solution. Here is the force of Deutsch’s vision: parallel universes themselves become collaborators in the triumph of human ingenuity.

The meaning of this quote is thus both heroic and humbling. Heroic, because mankind for the first time reaches beyond the single thread of his world, grasping power from a multitude of hidden realms. Humbling, because it reminds us that our universe is not alone, that our knowledge is still but a child’s whisper before the great symphony of existence. To wield such power will demand not only skill, but wisdom, lest we craft wonders with our hands while our hearts remain unready.

The lesson for future generations is this: approach the new age with both boldness and humility. Do not shrink from the marvels of quantum computation, for they may heal, illuminate, and empower beyond measure. Yet remember that every tool, no matter how divine it appears, reflects the spirit of the one who wields it. If used for greed or destruction, the gift of parallel worlds will yield bitterness; if used for knowledge, healing, and truth, it will bring sweetness.

Therefore, let your actions be thus: learn, explore, and prepare your hearts. Teach your children not only to master the science of qubits and algorithms, but also to cultivate virtue, so that wisdom guides discovery. For as David Deutsch proclaimed, quantum computation is not merely a machine—it is a collaboration across worlds, a harnessing of the unseen, a bridge between realities. And those who walk upon such bridges must do so with reverence, for they tread upon the very fabric of creation.