HOAXES 2023

A list of hoaxes heard in 2023 and explanations why they are called hoaxes.

 1) Quantum computing

This one is straightforward. All quantum computing architectures described so far violate a fundamental law of nature, which you may not know, I discovered. It states that the quantum state of a real quantum system cannot be determined. Since quantum computers are probabilistic, they will always operate in superposition with random noise. Therefore, it is impossible to determine, for example, what a quantum qubit is doing or what the output of a quantum gate will be. It's not even possible to place a qubit in a reproducible initial state. Not in any reliable, predictable way. If a quantum computer is to operate with integers, this is not going to work because there is no randomness in integers, and 0 + 1 = 1, always. The answer would be a wide distribution on a quantum computer once this simple operation is repeated many times. An abacus can do it without any errors, but a quantum computer cannot.

On the other hand, the quantum state of a textbook quantum system can usually be determined unless the number of particles is huge. People are familiar with that version and think that they need to order parts from Amazon, have them delivered with Prime, and then start gluing things together. And once they are finished, they realize that the thing does not work. Why is that? Well, it's the probabilistic nature of everything around us. In a nutshell, two thumbs down on quantum computing.

2) Large distance quantum entanglement

There is no such effect. None of the four known fundamental forces in nature could be responsible for linking two particles, objects, or items separated by a large distance. There will be some form of electromagnetic interaction at small distances, when even closer - weak and strong nuclear forces will govern the interaction process. Einstein got this part right and called it spooky - it has no merit.

3) Room-temperature superconductivity

Yeah, another guy cooked something over the stove. This time, he placed many different metals and oxides together, so there is always a possibility that someone trying to reproduce that process added a quarter of the spoon of that last thing too much. So that's why it cannot be reproduced! No, that's not it. It did not work in the first place. Will it ever work? So far, there are no signs.

4) Nuclear fusion

There is an excellent technical argument against it. The temperatures inside the reactor must be around 200 million degrees C. Even inside the Sun, temperatures are not that high, only about 15 million degrees C. It means it would be necessary to place a reactor inside the Sun, and the lasers inside the reactor would increase the temperature much higher. But what plumbing? How do you let cooling water flow to the reactor? The temperature gradient inside a nuclear reactor would be so high that even the Sun cannot support that. Therefore, only a little will come out of the nuclear fusion idea in the foreseeable future.