AI Breakthrough Wins Nobel Prize
Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for using AI to study proteins. This could lead to new medicines and better materials. In South Korea, a team is also making progress with quantum computers. These computers help study molecules more easily. This could help make medicines and materials too.
The Nobel Prize winners are Professor David Baker from the University of Washington, Demis Hassabis (CEO of Google DeepMind), and John Jumper (a researcher). They used AI to predict how proteins fold. This helps make medicines and materials. AI is changing how scientists work, and quantum computers are also helping.
Big Steps in Quantum Computers
A group of scientists in South Korea, led by Dr. Hyang-Tag Lim, made an important discovery. They found a better way to calculate how atoms bond and how much energy they have. They did this more accurately and with less work than before. They didn’t need to fix any mistakes, which is usually a problem with quantum computers.
Fixing Problems with Quantum Computers
Quantum computers can make mistakes when handling lots of data. Scientists are using something called VQE to fix this. VQE uses both regular and quantum computers to do calculations faster. Companies like IBM and Google are testing it. But right now, it only works for small problems and has some mistakes with bigger ones.
Using Qudits Instead of Qubits
The KIST team used “qudits” instead of the usual “qubits.” A qudit can hold more than just the two values (0 and 1) that qubits hold. This helps with harder calculations. The KIST team used qudits to make quantum chemistry calculations. They got accurate results without fixing any mistakes. They did calculations in 16 dimensions, the first time anyone has done that using light.
This discovery could help make better medicines, batteries, and solve big problems like climate change. Dr. Lim from KIST hopes this technology will make better products and solve hard problems.
Sources
Date: October 2024
Source: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Press Release)
Details: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to scientists who used AI to study protein folding, including David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper. This breakthrough is helping in the development of new medicines and materials.
John Jumper (AI Researcher) – Role in Protein Folding
- Source: Nature Biotechnology
- Details: Nature Biotechnology published research related to John Jumper’s contributions to AI-based protein folding models. These models are enabling faster, more accurate predictions in the field of drug discovery.
- Link: Nature Biotechnology Article
- Date: August 2024
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