China invests $145mn to develop a superconducting computer

It has been revealed that China has invested $145.4mn to develop a “superconducting computer” which is thought to be equipped to create new weapons, analyse intelligence and break codes, Money China Network reports.

With computer chips becoming increasingly more powerful because of greater transistor counts, they require extra power in order to work.

However, according to a media report by Semiconductor Industry Association, it is believed that computer chips will require more electricity than the world will have the capability to generate by 2040.

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It was also stated in the report that Chinese scientists are believed to have created new integrated circuits with superconducting material in labs as well as revealing that China has almost finished its design of the architecture for the computer’s systems, with a prototype set to launch as of 2022.

By conducting electricity with no resistance, a superconductor is used because a minimal amount of energy is needed to move bits within the processor.

In addition, it is thought the superconducting computer could be utilised to aid the Chinese military to quicken research and development for new thermonuclear weapons, next-generation submarines with high-speed central processing units and stealth jets.