Hype Memes

Quantum computing researchers be like: "We've got 8 topological qubits!" *shows fancy hardware* But then reality hits with the fine print: "Actually, we can't confirm these are even topological states." The classic research bait-and-switch! Topological quantum computing promises fault-tolerant qubits through exotic physics, but proving you've actually created them? That's where everyone gets suspiciously quiet. It's like claiming you've built a perpetual motion machine but can't quite demonstrate it working. The "Wait. That's illegal" reaction is every peer reviewer suddenly remembering the scientific method exists.

The quantum computing hype cycle in one perfect image! On the left: massive tomes filled with grandiose promises of how quantum computers will revolutionize everything from drug discovery to climate modeling. On the right: the same articles minus all the speculative "quantum computing could someday" fluff—suddenly reduced to a pamphlet. The gap between quantum computing's theoretical potential and its current practical applications is so vast you could fit another universe in there—which, ironically, is something quantum computers might eventually help us understand... or not. The field is basically 99% theoretical physics papers and 1% actual qubits that work for more than 5 seconds without decoherence.