Microsoft’s Quantum Chief Doesn’t Care That Scientists Don’t Believe His Results
Microsoft's quantum computing division continues to face skepticism from the scientific community regarding its research into Majorana quasiparticles. Despite past retractions and ongoing criticism, the company remains committed to its unique approach to building a reliable quantum computer.
Why it matters
The tension between corporate research goals and academic peer review is a critical factor in the development of transformative technologies like quantum computing.
When Zulfi Alam’s team claimed last year to have effectively split an electron into so-called Majorana quasiparticles in its bid to reinvent computing, some scientists simply didn’t believe the software giant. They cited inconclusive data in Microsoft’s research papers and the lack of peer-review analysis for many of the results. But Alam, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of quantum, tells WIRED with a chuckle, “I don’t really care.”
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