The Enormous Challenges

Quantum computing faces staggering engineering obstacles. Qubits are incredibly fragile. Most quantum computers operate at temperatures near absolute zero (about -273°C), colder than outer space, because any thermal energy causes decoherence — qubits lose their quantum properties and collapse into ordinary bits.

Fragility creates a second problem: errors. Qubits drift and flip far more often than classical bits, so a quantum computer must constantly check and correct itself.