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The American appetite for social media censorship is apparently increasing: 48 percent of survey respondents now want the government to restrict misinformation, compared with just 39 percent in 2018.

That's according to recent findings from the Pew Research Center, which asked respondents what should be done about "false information online." The percentage of people who thought the social media companies themselves should curb misinformation has barely changed over the last few years (59 percent today versus 56 percent three years ago), but support for governmentaction jumped 9points.

That figure48 percentis significant. It means, that just about half of all people want the government to violate the First Amendment, which protects the free speech rights of private actors, including tech companies. Free speech can be messy, but the authors of the Bill of Rights believed that the federal government should not have the right to decide what ideas the people are allowed to express. After all, the government might accidentally criminalize true information rather than false information, or nefariously censor criticism of its own actions.

Indeed, this is precisely what has occurred over the course of the pandemic. Federal health bureaucrats and their allies in the White House have repeatedly urged tech platforms to take action against so-called misinformation relating to COVID-19. But over and over again, it has subsequently been the case that the misinformation in question was not quite so clear-cut. For instance, after weeks and weeks of the government's preferred health experts shrieking that the lab leak theory of COVID-19's origins was unthinkable and no one should be allowed to even discuss it, the idea gained enough mainstream traction that social media sites had to revise their policies of censoring the topic.

The government's own health guidance has varied wildly from moment to moment. At the beginning of the pandemic, top White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci discouraged the use of masks among the general population. Then, for months, masks became an urgent necessity in any and all circumstances. Eventually, health officials relented and said that masks were only necessary indoors. After the vaccine rollout began, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said that vaccinated individuals didn't need masks at all. But the CDC's current position is that in many circumstances, masks should be worn regardless of vaccination status.

The constantly shifting expert consensus, as well as the government's own history of issuing confusing and contradictory statements, should make people morereticent to entrust a single entity with the task of determining truth from falsehood. So it's a bit concerning that the American public has grown even hungrier for a central information czar since Pew last conducted this survey.

Note that the increasing appetite for censorship is mostly a reflection of increasing openness toward government action on the part of Democrats. While Republicans have grown even less willing to let either governments or the tech companies themselves restrict misinformation, Democrats have moved dramatically away from a robust defense of the First Amendment.

Pew also notes that the demographic differences pertaining to this question have largely disappeared.

"Three years ago, older Americans and those with less education were more likely than younger and more educated adults, respectively, to say the U.S. government should take steps to restrict false information online, even if means limiting some freedoms," write the survey's authors. "Now, Americans across nearly all age groups are fairly evenly divided between the two views. Similar changes have occurred when it comes to Americans' educational background."

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48% of Americans Want the Government To Restrict Misinformation on Social Media - Reason

A teacher in the Alpine School District is no longer working there after a recording of her surfaced talking about the need for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, her disdain of former President Donald Trump and telling students they can get out if they dont believe in climate change.

The video was shared widely on social media, with many comments calling for the teachers removal.

District spokesperson David Stephenson said he couldnt comment whether the teacher had been fired or resigned, but referred to Alpines Code of Conduct, which states employees and volunteers are expected to act professionally communicating in a civil manner and not promoting personal opinions, issues or political positions as part of the instructional process.

We expect professional conduct and decorum from all of our teachers, Stephenson said in an email. Behavior otherwise that is in violation of the code of conduct will not be tolerated.

Brad Asay, president of the Utah chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said the incident was unfortunate, but unusual in his experience.

He said teachers have always had to navigate politically-sensitive territory, but it can be especially tricky in the current climate. As the New York Times wrote, nearly all of the major issues dividing the country have dropped like an anvil on U.S. schools, from debates around mask mandates and other public health measures to conservations around race and educational equity.

That's my worry, is that folks out there, especially those that believe that students are being indoctrinated, that they have this belief that's happening all the time throughout our school system, Asay said. What we saw [in the video] was not the norm. This just does not happen often at all.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah notes there are many limitations to teachers First Amendment rights in the classroom as it can be considered speech on behalf of the school district. Specific policies can vary widely by district.

The issue gets blurry, however, when it comes to things like public health measures around COVID-19, which may not be political issues at their core but have become so over the last year.

We are in a lot of gray area right now of what can you discuss in a classroom, especially when it comes to COVID, Asay said. A lot of districts are saying don't even mention it.

When sensitive topics inevitably come up, he said the usual approach is that teachers try to keep the discussion open, encourage students to voice their opinions but bring the focus back to the curriculum or subject at hand.

He said he often advises teachers to assume they will be recorded and watched closely, though its less of a warning than a reminder that students are looking to them as examples.

Link:
Navigating Free Speech In The Classroom Is Getting Harder For Teachers When Schools Are At The Center Of Political Debates - KUER 90.1

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North Carolina House Republicans rushed to pass a donor privacy bill Thursday shortly after a Judiciary Committee hearing. The bill (SB 636) would limit the disclosure required for a range of 501(c) nonprofit organizations. It is now up to Gov. Roy Cooper to decide whether to sign it into law.

The bill would prohibit nonprofits from disclosing the list of donors without the donors permission, unless otherwise required by law, such as investigations by state agencies including the State Board of Elections.

Rep. Hugh Blackwell, a Burke County Republican, said the bill seeks to protect donors First Amendment rights. He said, This is designed to say that if you are a donor to a charitable organization, unless you give your permission, you dont have to worry that someone is going to disclose your name broadly to other folks who may have other purposes in mind than just being well informed.

He said legislators proposed this bill in keeping with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decisionthat blocked the California Attorney Generals office from collecting the nonprofit Americans for Prosperitys tax forms containing donor information. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the case, saying the court erroneously eliminated the burden of proof to show First Amendment violations and instead invalidated the disclosure law entirely.

Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham, opposed todays House action. We talked about free speech; We talked about free assembly. Thats not what were talking about here, she said. Were talking about money money that has power to influence and oftentimes money that has power to corrupt.

This bill would prevent the public from identifying big donors to nonprofit organizations and perpetuate secrecy in campaign finance, opponents of the bill argued.

Although the bill would not affect disclosure requirements for nonprofits to the SBOE, campaign finance watchdog groups said that the measure would expand a loophole already in the state statutes. Currently, dark money groups can funnel their money through layers of shell organizations. Since secondary disclosure of donors is not required, it is sometimes impossible to trace back the source donors.

Melissa Price Kromm

A preemptive strike

Melissa Price Kromm, executive director of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections, said the bill is nothing but a preemptive strike to prevent disclosure of donors if state laws close the loophole to allow for peeling the onion to identify sources of dark money.

You dont have the public clamoring for this, you have special interest clamoring for this, Kromm said. She said the sudden passage of the bill without public notice is telling of lobbying groups influence. North Carolina Republican legislators recently returned from the annual conference of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The conservative group famous for pre-written model legislation has pushed for similar bills in other states for years.

Rep. Blackwell was a member of ALECs Civil Justice Task Force, according to a memo.

The bill would apply to different kinds of nonprofits, including 501(c)(3) charitable, religious, and education organizations and 501 (c)(6) trade associations. However, Kromm said the bill would close the door to transparency for 501(c)(4) organizations, social welfare groups that often play an active role in campaign activities.

In an earlier op-ed to Policy Watch, she highlighted notable 501(c)(4) groups have abused the funneling loophole, including the National Rifle Association, the Club for Growth and Heritage Action, and Democratic-afiliated groups Future Forward, as well as the 1630 Fund.

On the House floor, Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, proposed an amendment to limit the donor protection to501(c)(3) charitable, religious and education organizations only. The amendment failed to gain Republican support.

The Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan nonprofit organization, sent a letter to Gov. Cooper urging him to veto the bill. The letter warned, The bill mandates secrecy for 29 different types of nonprofit organizations.

While not barring current statutorily required disclosures, S.B. 636 stymies further disclosure of donor information from groups that hide their political spending in dark money shell games to avoid the reach of such statutorily required disclosures, the letter read.

The group noted that the bill would also make it easier for North Carolina officials to hide conflicts of interest. For example, the bill could keep it in the dark when legislators solicit money from individuals associated with nonprofits who wish to buy government action in secret, the letter stated.

The group noted that former Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder vetoed a similar version of the bill and called it a solution in search of a problem.

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NC legislators rush bill to limit nonprofit donor disclosure | The Progressive Pulse - The Progressive Pulse

Baby name trends may come and go, but today's most popular baby names suggest that nothing beats a classic. Many of the popular boy names that have topped the lists in recent years have a certain throwback appeal, and find their roots in ancient Greek, Hebrew, Gaelic and Latin terms, such as David, Andrew and Elijah. Other popular modern boy names honor a beloved heritage, like Liam (Irish) or Anthony (Italian). And some just seem to ooze "cool guy" status, like Jackson, Logan and Dylan.

It's too soon to tell whether the coming years will see a major shift in baby name trends, but the popular boys' names below have enjoyed their spots in the top 30 for several years running.

Aidan is an Irish name meaning "fiery," derived from the name of the Celtic god of the sun and fire, Aodh.

According to baby name trend tracking site Nameberry, Aidan and its related spelling Aiden have enjoyed a recent resurgence of popularity in the past decade that inspired many "sound-alike" names such as Caden, Jayden and Braden. It's a cool gender-neutral name for girls, too.

Alexander is a name of Greek origin meaning "defender." Famous Alexanders in history include Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, inventor and scientist Alexander Graham Bell and of course the ancient conqueror Alexander the Great.

According to Nameberry, Alexander has been among the top 25 most popular boys' names since the 1990s, with numerous "spinoff" names and nicknames such as Xander, Sasha and Alex.

Andrew is boy's name derived from the Greek aner, meaning "man." Andrew means "strong, manly," and is the name of one of the first apostles in the New Testament, as well as two American presidents (Jackson and Johnson) and the patron saints of Russia, Greece and Scotland.

Andrew is one of those names that has been popular for decades, although Nameberry notes that it slipped out of the top 20 boys' names in 2013. Drew and Andy are two likeable nicknames for Andrew, and variations on Andrew from around the world include Anders, Andre, Andreas and Andrei.

Anthony is a Latin name meaning "priceless." Originally a family name from ancient Rome, "Antonii" evolved into the given names Anthony and Antony in the 17th century, according to Nameberry, and is the name of the patron saint of Italy and the poor.

While Anthony's popularity peaked in the 1980s, it still ranks in the top 30 for boys names.

Benjamin is a Biblical boys' name derived from the Hebrew for "son of the right hand." Benjamin was a founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, and in more recent times famous Benjamins have been inventors (Franklin), composers (Britten) and even Jedi (Solo, Kenobi).

Gentle and a bit old-fashioned, Benjamin has been in the top 10 for boys' names since 2015. The nickname Ben is a friendly shortened version with vintage appeal, while Benji has a playful feel.

Christopher is a Biblical name of ancient Greek origin meaning "bearer of Christ." The name Christopher has been borne by saints, actors (Plummer and Eccleston, to name two), explorers (Columbus), architects (Wren) and authors (Colfer and Hitchens), but the best-loved Christopher of them all might be Christopher Robin, of Winnie the Pooh.

Chris is, of course, a popular nickname, but as Nameberry reports, some appealing and lesser-known variations are on the rise, including Topher, Kit and Kip.

The Biblical name Daniel is taken from the Hebrew for "God is my judge," and is associated with the faithful Daniel of the Old Testament book of the same name. It has been among the most popular boys' names since the 1970s, and according to Nameberry, over 10,000 baby boys are given the name Daniel every year.

Daniel is traditionally a popular boy name among Irish families, thanks to the classic Irish ballad "Danny Boy" and the similar-sounding Gaelic name Donal or Domhnall.

David is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved." The Biblical David is the famous one who slew the giant Goliath with his slingshot, making David the namesake of triumphant underdogs everywhere. That same David is also the poet and champion of the arts who inspired the famous Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo. Quite a heritage to live up to!

With its artistic and religious pedigree combined with its classic appeal, David has ranked among the most popular boys' names for decades, coming in second only to Daniel in boys' names that begin with D, according to Nameberry.

A gender-neutral name that has skyrocketed to popularity in recent decades, Dylan is a Welsh name that means "son of the sea." Most Americans associate the name Dylan with the Nobel-prize-winning musician Bob Dylan, but perhaps fewer know that Bob Dylan adopted his performing name from the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who wrote "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," among others.

Elijah is a Biblical name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my God." In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who confronted the controversial queen Jezebel and king Ahab of Israel, and who was later carried up to Heaven in a chariot of fire.

Classic and musical-sounding, Elijah is also an especially popular name among celebrity kids: Bono, Cher and a surprisingly long list of other notables have given their sons the name Elijah. Elijah is also gaining ground as a name for baby girls.

Ethan is an ancient Hebrew name meaning "enduring." Its popularity in recent decades may have been kickstarted by the Tom Cruise character in the Mission: Impossible series, by 90s indie dreamboat Ethan Hawkeor maybe just by the name Ethan's classic-yet-cheerful feel.

According to the baby name popularity tracking website Nameberry, Ethan peaked at #3 for boys names in 2012, but is still holding strong in the top 30.

Gabriel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my strength," combining gever, meaning "strong," and 'el, God. In the religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, the archangel Gabriel offers counsel, reveals the meaning of dreams and visions and provides a line of communication between humanity and the divine. Gabriel is also known as the herald of the birth of Christ.

Noble and musical, Gabriel is a popular name choice for January babies and sons born on a Monday, since as reported by Nameberry, Gabriel is associated with both Januarys and Mondaysappropriate for a figure so strongly connected with new beginnings.

Henry is a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the home," derived from "heim," meaning home, and "rich" meaning rule. A long line of British monarchs named Henry dates from all the way back in the tenth century to the modern Prince Henry, a.k.a. Harry. But well beyond its royal pedigree, Henry has been the earthy, accessible name of great artists, inventors and pioneers from Henry Ford to Henry James to Henry "Hank" Aaron.

Henry is also one of those names that celebrities seem to love bestowing on their sons, including Julia Roberts, Viggo Mortensen, Meryl Streep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rachel Weisz, Jack White, Colin Farrell, and many more.

Jackson is an English name meaning "son of Jack," which has risen to such massive popularity in recent decades that it has surpassed both John and Jack on the Social Security Administration's annual record of top names for boys. Jackson sounds like a slightly more formal version of either Jack or John, which may help explain its durable appeal. The name has gained even more renown thanks to modern-day Jacksons like American artist Jackson Pollack, singer Jackson Browne and Jackson Wang of Korean boy band Got7.

Even more than Henry, it seems, Jackson is a favorite boy name among celebrities. Notable people who have named their sons Jackson include Spike Lee, Patti Smith and Charlize Theron.

Jacob is a Hebrew name meaning "supplanter." In the Biblical story of Jacob and his twin brother Esau, Jacob repeatedly deceives his older twin in order to deny Esau his rights as the eldest son. But then the Old Testament describes how Jacob goes on to face numerous challengesincluding wrestling with an angelbefore eventually reconciling with his brother and becoming a leader of a new nation. Jacob's legacy is complex, but he's an incredibly important figure in Judaism and Christianity.

Ironically enough, Jacob's revived popularity as a boys' name in the late 1990s was inspired by another controversial Jacob, one-third of the love triangle in the Twilight series. According to Nameberry, Jacob was the number 1 boys' name in America from 1999 to 2013, when it was supplanted (see what we did there?) by Noah.

Classic boys' name James is the Anglo-Saxon version of the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning "supplanter." James was the most popular boys' name in America from the late 1930s into the 1940s, and it has never really gone out of style (in fact, James has evolved into a great gender-neutral name for girls in recent years). As Nameberry notes, more U.S. Presidents have been named James than any other name. Kings, apostles and fictional international super-spies have all carried the name of James, too.

While James is a name with a serious pedigree, it has some pretty friendly nicknames, including Jamie, Jim, and Jake.

Jayden is the Americanized version of the Hebrew name Jadon, meaning "thankful." Jayden is most often considered a kind of hybrid of the names "Aiden" and "Jason," and the name started its rise to popularity in the 1990s (thanks to Britney Spears choosing "Jayden" and Will and Jada Smith using "Jaden" for their sons), eventually peaking at #4 in the early 2010s.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the popularity of Jayden has propelled a host of wildly popular sound-alike names up the Social Security Administration's top name listsCaden, Braydon, Peyton, even Mason. But Jayden is the grandaddy of them all...or, to put it in gender-neutral terms, the grandparent, since Jayden is also a popular name for girls.

John is an English version of the Latin name Iohannes, meaning "God is gracious." John is the most popular boys' name of the last 400 years, and like the name James, it has never really gone out of styleeven though it's less used today than ever, John still ranks consistently in the top 30 boys' names.

Timeless, classic and durable, the name John has a band of international "brothers" that are just as beloved: Sean (Irish), Juan (Spanish), Ian (Scottish), Evan or Ewan (Welsh), Giovanni (Italian) and Jean (French).

Joseph is the Latin form of the ancient Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "may God grow." The most famous Joseph is probably the New Testament father figure and husband of the Virgin Mary, but Joseph is also the instantly recognizable, distinguished name of authors (Heller), athletes (DiMaggio), actors (Fiennes, Gordon-Levitt) and political leaders (Biden, Lieberman).

Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my salvation." Gentle-sounding with just a hint of the Wild West, the Biblical name Joshua has been popular since the 1980s, reaching its highest ranking in the Social Security Administration data for baby names in the early 2000s. By 2015 Joshua had fallen out of the top 20 boys' names in the U.S., but Joshua remains one of the most well-loved names of the last 50 years.

Famous namesakes include Joshua Tree National Park and a baseball teams' worth of well-known actors (Brolin, Hutcherson, Gad, Hartnett, Radnor, Duhamel, Jackson, Charles...).

Liam is a boys' name that means "protector." An Irish variation of the English-German name William, Liam is currently the most popular boys' name in the U.S., and one of the fastest-rising names on record (it wasn't even in the top 10 until 2012, according to Nameberry).

Well-known Liams include actor Liam Neeson, musicians Liam Payne (of One Direction) and Liam Gallagher (of Oasis) and a number of Irish cultural and political figures including novelist Liam O'Flaherty.

Logan is a Scottish boys' name meaning "small hollow." Originally a Scottish family name, Logan has been growing in popularity as a first name for boys since the 1970s thanks to the sci-f- classic Logan's Run. Logan is also a cool gender-neutral name for girls.

The Marvel X-Men character Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, is a big part of the name's appeal in the U.S., along with Logans on Gilmore Girls and a number of other shows. Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God also features a character named Logan.

Lucas is a Latin name meaning either "from Lucania" (a region in southern Italy) or "light," if Lucas is considered a variation on the name Luke. The variation Lukas is the most popular boys' name in the Netherlands, Spain and Norway.

Lucas is a big name among big-screen cowboys from Cool Hand Luke (a.k.a. Lucas Jackson) to Lucas McCain of The Rifleman, and a number of fictional characters from Ivanhoe to Stranger Things have been named Lucas as well.

Mason is a popular gender-neutral name of English origin meaning "stone worker," derived from an Old English word macian meaning "to make." It's a name for creators, hard workers andaccording to pop culturewerewolves. (And Kardashians.)

Mason peaked at #2 in 2011, but its enduring popularity has boosted a number of sound-alike names such as Cason and Grayson.

Matthew is the English form of the Hebrew name Mattiyahu, meaning "gift of God." Like Joshua and John, Matthew is a soft-yet-strong Biblical boys' name that has been popular for decades, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Name "spin-offs" from Matthew that are also popular now include Matteo, Teo and Mattias.

Matthew and Matt, much like Lucas and Luke, are old-school names that bear a hint of the Wild West thanks to gunslingers like Matt Dillon. But Matthew has a gentle feel too, thanks to its sound and namesakes like Matthew Cuthbert of the Anne of Green Gables books.

Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning, "Who is like God?" The rhetorical question posed by this Biblical name isn't intended to be answered of coursebut it suggests the importance of humility, grace and sincerity in life. The archangel Michael, important to Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions, leads an army of angels to victory against Satan and is the patron saint of soldiers, making Michael a popular name in military families. Michael was the #1 boys' name in America for over 50 years.

Notable Michaels in history and literature are almost too many to list, but modern Michaels have included sports legends (Jordan), designers (Kors), actors (Douglas, Fassbender) and political leaders (Pence, Bloomberg). And of course, Michael Scott of The Office, best boss ever.

The boys' name Noah is of Hebrew origin and means "peace." The Biblical story of Noah and the ark is known by children around the world, and word-lovers are grateful to American lexicographer Noah Webster for his pioneering dictionary.

Noah is one of the most popular boys' names of the last two decades and currently ranks #2, although it hasn't always been as widely-used as it is today. Along with old-fashioned Biblical names such as Elijah, Micah and Jonah, Noah has resurfaced as a gentle-sounding boys' name with a serious feel.

Oliver is a Latin name meaning "olive tree," an ancient symbol of friendship and peace. While the name Oliver fell seriously out of fashion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it has resurfaced in a big way in the last two decades as a likeable vintage-sounding name for boys with a friendly meaning (and a wildly popular twin sister, the name Olivia).

Oliver isn't just popular in the U.S.it's also enjoying a big surge in popularity abroad. Oliver is the #1 boy name in England, Australia and New Zealand and #2 in Scotland.

Samuel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "heard of God," and makes a sweet name for a much-wished-for little boy. Samuel has a serious, old-fashioned appeal while its softer, friendlier nickname Sam is both gender-neutral and easy-going. A Biblical name with a long history of popularity, Samuel has many notable namesakes, from Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) to revolutionary Sam Adams to film legend Samuel L. Jackson.

William is an English name meaning "resolute protector," derived from the German "wil" meaning will and "heim" meaning helmet. According to Nameberry, William is one of the most popular boys' names of the last 4 centuries, second only to John.

William has numerous royal and presidential namesakes from Prince William to William Clinton, in addition to world-shapers like William Shakespeare and William the Conqueror. William is one of the top 10 boys' names of the past decade.

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30 popular boy names and their meanings - Motherly Inc.

Quantum computing has enormous potential in healthcare and has started to impact the industry in various ways.

For example, quantum computing offers the ability to track and diagnose disease. Using sensors, quantum technology has the ability to track the progress of cancer treatments and diagnose and monitor such degenerative diseases as multiple sclerosis.

The tech also can help modernize supply chains. Quantum technology can solve routing issues in real time using live data such as weather and traffic updates to help determine the most efficient method of delivery. This would have been particularly helpful during the pandemic since many states had issues with vaccine deliveries.

Elsewhere, quantum technology can impact early-stage drug discovery. Pharmaceuticals can take a decade or longer to bring to market. Quantum computing could lower the costs and reduce the time.

"In the simplest terms, quantum computing harnesses the mysterious properties of quantum mechanics to solve problems using individual atoms and subatomic particles," explained Scott Buchholz, emerging technology research director and government and public services CTO at Deloitte Consulting. "Quantum computers can be thought of as akin to supercomputers.

"However, today's supercomputers solve problems by performing trillions of math calculations very quickly to predict the weather, study air flow over wings, etc.," he continued. "Quantum computers work very differently they perform calculations all at once, limited by the number of qubitsof information that they currently hold."

Because of how differently they work, they aren't well suited for all problems, but they're a fit forcertain types of problems, such as molecular simulation, optimization and machine learning.

"What's important to note is that today's most advanced quantum computers still aren't especially powerful," Buchholz noted.

"Many calculations they currently can do can be performed on a laptop computer. However, if quantum computers continue to scale exponentially that is, the number of qubitsthey use for computation continues to double every year or so they will become dramatically more powerful in years to come.

"Because quantum computers can simulate atoms and other molecules much better than classical computers, researchers are investigating the future feasibility of doing drug discovery, target protein matching, calculating protein folding and more," he continued.

"That is, during the drug discovery process, they could be useful to dramatically reduce the time required to sort through existing databases of molecules to look for targets, identify potential new drugs with novel properties, identify potential new targets and more."

Researchers also are investigating the possibility of simulating or optimizing manufacturing processes for molecules, which potentially could help make scaling up manufacturing easier over time. While these advances won't eliminate the lengthy testing process, they may well accelerate the initial discovery process for interesting molecules.

"Quantum computing may also directly and indirectly lead to the ability to diagnose disease," Buchholz said. "Given future machines' ability to sort through complex problems quickly, they may be able to accelerate the processing of some of the techniques that are being developed today, say those that are designed to identify harmful genetic mutations or combinations.

"Indirectly, some of the materials that were investigated for quantum computers turned out to be better as sensors," he added. "Researchers are investigating quantum-based technologies to make smaller, more sensitive, lower-power sensors. In the future, these sensors and exotic materials may be combined in clever ways to help with disease identification and diagnosis."

Quantum computers will improve the ability to optimize logistics and routing, potentially easing bottlenecks in supply chains or identifying areas of improvement, Buchholz said.

Perhaps more interestingly, due to their ability to simulate molecular interactions, researchers are looking at their ability to optimize manufacturing processes to be quicker, use less energy and produce less waste, he added. That could lead to alternative manufacturing techniques that could simplify healthcare supply chains, he noted.

"Ultimately, the promise of quantum computers is to make some things faster like optimization and machine learning and make some things practical like large scale molecular and process simulation," he said.

"While the technology to solve the 'at scale' problems is still several years in the future, researchers currently are working hard today to put the foundations in place to tackle these problems as the hardware capacity of quantum computers advances.

"Should the hardware researchers achieve some of the sought after scalability breakthroughs, that promise could accelerate," he concluded.

Twitter:@SiwickiHealthITEmail the writer:bsiwicki@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

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Deloitte's quantum computing leader on the technology's healthcare future - Healthcare IT News