Comments about: The entangled Web

Comments about the article in Nature: The entangled Web

Following is a discussion about this News & Views in Nature Vol 554 15 February 2018, "The entangled Web" by Davide Castelvececchi
To read the article select: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-01835-3

The text in italics is copied from the article
Immediate followed by some comments

In the last paragraph I explain my own opinion.

Introduction

This sentence is too simple.



: Many technical details still need to be sorted out, and some researchers caution that it is too early to say exactly how much a quantum internet might deliver.
Completely correct. It is too early to decide.

Quantum Keys

Stephan Wiesner, then a young physicist at Columbia University in New York City, saw potential in one of the most basic principles of quantum mechanics: that it is impossible to measure a property of a system without changing it.
Any measurement at particle level causes a change in the particle level. In certain processes two particles are created. In some cases when you measure both particles the measurements indicate a correlation. The important physical implication is that the two particles are entangled after creation.: Wiesner suggested that information could be encoded in the states of objects such as isolated atoms, whose 'spins' can point up or down like the 0 and 1 of classical bits - but can also be in both states simulataneously.
This requires a very precise definition of the concept simultaneously within the context of an individual isolated atom. A different problem is how to test that an atom is in superposition.: Wiesner pointed out that because the properties of a qubit can't be measured without changing its state , it is also impossible to make exact copies or 'clones' of one.
The first part of the sentence more or less answers the question: How do you know that a particle is in superposition? IMO you cannot. A whole different issue is when two particles (Qubits) are involved. Those two particles can be entangled. This can easily be tested because the state of each can be tested. (Implying that neither one is in superposition?) The fact if you can or can not copy a qubit requires a physical description of exactly what a qubit is. More physical detail is required.: Otherwise, some one could extract information about the state of the original qubit without affecting it, simply by measuring its clone.
This also depents how much information or energy is extracted from the original qubit.
: Using a variant of Bennett and Brassard's protocol, the space craft created two keys, then sent one to a ground station in Beiing and another to Vienna as it passed overhead.
This is step 1. See Reflection 1 - China's Micius satellite: An on-board computer then combined the two secret keys to create a new one, which it beamed down classically.
This is step 2
This is done in step 3

Quantum Connections

A true quantum network would be able to harness entanglement and teleportation to transmit quantum information over long distances, without the need for vulnerable trusted nodes.
See See Reflection 2 - Computer security: "the extra cool thing is " says Ronald Hanson, an experimental physicist at Delft. "People at the server"

Spooky Security

Link and repeat

Box 1: Creating A Quantum Internet

To create a link, Alice can emit a photon towards Bob from her qubit. Bob does the same towards Alice. Because the photons are entangled with their original qubits, when they interact, Alice's and Bob's qubits become entangled, too.

The word Because is in appropiate with out a much more laborate explanation.
Let us call the photon that Alice emits towards Bob A1 and the photon that Bob towards Alice B1. The stay at home electrons are called A2 and B2
What you need is a test which demonstrates that both A1 and B1 when they meet are entangled. What you also need is test which demonstrates that the two electron's are entangled

These tests are very tricky.

Reflection 1 - China's Micius satellite

Step 1 generates two secret keys. The secret key in Beiing is: "0000 1111 0000 1111". The secret key in Vienna is: "0001 1100 0111 0001". The keys don't look very secret. The primary reason is to explain the concept.
The new key is an exclusive or operation on the two secret keys. The result of public step 2 is "0001 0011 0111 1110"
In Beiing an exclusive or between its own key and the public key gives the following result: "0001 1100 0111 0001", which is Vienna's secret key.
In Vienna an exclusive or between its own key and the public key gives the following result: "0000 1111 0000 1111", which is Beiing's secret key.

Reflection 2 - Computer security

The biggest problem in communication is not so much if the Internet is reliable, but the content of the communication.

Under normal operation the Internet is reliable meaning that people can send and receive messages over the internet. The Internet becomes unreliable depending about the number of messages that are send, specif too many to one specific internet address. This can completely overload the system and propagate to the whole of internet.
See: https://www.akamai.com/us/en/about/our-thinking/state-of-the-internet-report/global-state-of-the-internet-security-ddos-attack-reports.jsp
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Dyn_cyberattack
The content of the communication can be divided in passive versus active information.
- Passive information is content when loaded on your machine cannot change any other information on your machine except what is immediate loaded. Examples are text files (.txt files) and picture files jpg/(.jpg files). A text file which contains an internet link (url) does not make the text file itself active.
- Active information is content changes your machine with information that is immediate loaded, but also makes additional changes on your PC. For example active information can be a program (.exe file) which when executed will change your machine.
What makes a computer insecure are specific computer programs (.exe files) but all websites. The data that makes up the website, can be invisible to the user, but when executed can do all sorts of things.
Part of the problem is what does the average user of the Internet expect?
My point of view is that all programs downloaded via the Internet don't have the right to change any disc content without my exclusive permission. This is a general prevention against all virusses received.

The whole issue is will the "Entangled web" concept, make my PC more secure. I doubt that because my PC security depents very much what Microsoft has to offer. The general attitude is the question: Do you trust the content that is received? When the answer is: Yes all will be loaded and excuted. This is the wrong approach. If you want to give a comment you can use the following form Comment form

Created: 16 February 2018

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