Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jerry, right, and Erica Evans pose at their business, Finders Keepers Treasure Seekers, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Tiffany Pauldon-Banks has operated a successful wedding planning and event business for the past six years in both her native Chicago and in her transplanted home in Chattanooga.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic limited all but small wedding celebrations, Pauldon-Banks decided to pursue her dream of bringing Chicago-style hoagies to Chattanooga. In January, the 35-year-old entrepreneur will open Lil Mama's Chicago Style Hoagy next to Jack Brown's Tavern in the Tomorrow Building on the Patten Parkway in downtown Chattanooga.

"People ask why I would try to start a business during a pandemic, and my thought is it's still a good time because people always have to eat," she says. "I feel like the pandemic has actually opened the door of opportunity by giving me the incentive and the extra time I needed to build this new business, and I know this won't last forever."

Pauldon-Banks is among a growing number of people starting business ventures this year. Unlike previous recessions, which have caused more caution among entrepreneurs, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many to rethink who they work for as traditional jobs have been cut. With extra stimulus funds and a belief that the pandemic won't endure, many are deciding to start their own companies.

"We're definitely seeing more interest and activity in starting new businesses probably 40 to 50 percent more this year," says Hal Bowling, executive director of LAUNCH Chattanooga, a 9-year-old nonprofit group working to encourage more local business startups. "A lot of people lost jobs this year that never expected they would, so the idea of starting a new business is both more essential and more opportune for a lot folks."

The U.S. Census Bureau reports business applications in 2020 are up 38.5% so far this year over last year's levels. Even in a pandemic when many companies were forced to close, the Census Bureau reports there have been 3.2 million requests for employer identification numbers, which is what a business needs to get started. In the same period of 2019, there were 2.7 million such requests for employer ID numbers.

In Hamilton County, 2,447 business filings were made with the Tennessee Secretary of State through the first 10 months of the year, up 13.2% from the same period a year ago. Statewide, business filings for all of Tennessee in the first 10 months of 2020 rose 17.5% from last year to 46,563, according to filings with the Tennessee Secretary of State.

"We've had a 40-year decline (in the number of new business startups) and it certainly would be great with all of the negatives of this year to see an increase in business starts," Bowling says. "I think that is very likely."

As the economy emerged from most of the shutdowns this spring, more people prepared to start businesses in Chattanooga, experts say.

"Initially this spring we were getting very few inquiries about starting a business, but since July, we're seeing a definite uptick in the number of people wanting to know more about how to start their own business," says Lynn Chesnutt, director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center in Chattanooga. "Some people whose jobs have been eliminated or who have been furloughed are saying "If not now, when?'"

From March 15, when the pandemic forced many businesses to shut down, through the end of September, the TSBDC has worked with 457 people in Chattanooga, or nearly as many as the 532 that the office served during all of 2019 when the economy was booming.

Chesnutt and Bowling say their organizations have had to switch from in-person to online training and counseling, which has worked in many cases to allow more people to get help more quickly since they don't have to leave their homes or businesses to receive advice or participate in virtual seminars.

"The silver lining coming out of this is that we think people will want to continue to do virtual programs and meetings, and that will make us more productive in helping to serve our nine-county region," Chesnutt says.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports business applications in 2020 are up 38.5% so far this year over last years levels. Even in a pandemic when many companies were forced to close, the Census Bureau reports there have been 3.2 million requests for employer identification numbers, which is what a business needs to get started. In the same period of 2019, there were 2.7 million such requests for employer ID numbers.

For Jerry and Erica Evans, the pandemic inspired them to switch businesses and launch a bin warehouse outlet. The couple had previously run an estate sale business helping to price and sell household homes at estate sales across the region. But the pandemic ended most of that business, so the couple turned their selling skills and entrepreneurial drive to their newest venture Finders Keepers.

In a former car dealership and repair shop warehouse on Hixson Pike, Jerry and Erica Evans now unload a truckload of returned merchandise every week and put from 6,000 to 8,000 items from each truck into 41 wooden bins and sell each item for a declining price over four days each week.

Every Saturday, Finders Keepers opens with every item priced for $5 and then cuts the price to $3 an item on Sunday, a dollar per item on Monday and, for what's left, 50 cents an item on Tuesday.

"We knew we had to do something when the estate sales business pretty much ended and we saw how well this type of business was doing elsewhere," Jerry Evans says. "I wasn't sure at first, but we're gaining a lot of customers now every week and in this current economy I think more people are looking for the kind of bargains we can offer."

Jerry Evans, who says he might even open a second location of Finders Keepers, was able to use the skills he developed in running other businesses in the past to pivot into a new venture. But many others starting their own business for the first time are seeking help from a variety of small business assistance programs.

To help startups, Chattanooga boasts the state's biggest business incubator, one of the first business accelerator programs, and a host of other training and seed capital assistance in and around the Innovation District established downtown to nurture more startups.

"Whenever you have a correction or change in your economy, there are a number of businesses that start up," says Christy Gillenwater, president of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, which operates the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Business Development Center and works with startup business groups like CO.LAB and the Enterprise Center and local venture capital groups like the Dynamo and Renaissance Funds. "I think our entrepreneurial eco-system for those businesses is vibrant, particularly for this size community, and hopefully that is helping to create more businesses here."

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Might as well: Entrepreneurs across the country are going for it, anticipating better days ahead - Chattanooga Times Free Press

CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global technology provider Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) has been selected as a Training Industry Inc.s Top 20 IT Training Company in 2020.

Training Industry recently announced its selections for the 2020 Top Training Companies lists for the information technology (IT) training sector of the learning and development market.

Training Industry, a leading research and information resource for corporate learning leaders, prepares the Training Industry Top 20 report on critical sectors of the corporate training marketplace to better inform professionals about the best and most innovative providers of training services and technologies.

Selection to the 2020 Training Industry Top 20 IT Training Companies List was based on the following criteria:

This years Top 20 IT Training Companies quickly adapted to organizations changing work environments to provide content through various modalities to meet the needs of learners working from home, said Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry. These modalities include immersive learning approaches such as virtual labs, virtual instruction through a variety of technology platforms and on-demand learning. These companies continue to modify their delivery to ensure learners are receiving the best training that work with their schedule.

More Information on Arrows education service business

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for over 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2019 sales of $29 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at fiveyearsout.com.

Read more here:
Arrow Electronics Selected as a Training Industry Top 20 IT Training Company - Business Wire

East Riding Museums: Beverley Art Gallery, Skidby Mill, Beverley Guildhall, and Goole Museum will remain closed.

East Riding Archives in the Treasure House, Beverley: will remain closed

East Riding Libraries and Customer Service Centres: East Riding Libraries will continue to offer their Order and Collect service - customers can either phone their library or order books online at library.eastriding.gov.uk, and then collect from their specified East Riding Library once available.

Books can be returned to any East Riding Library during opening hours and will be quarantined for three days before being cleaned and returned to shelves.

There is also an extensive online library available 24/7, of eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and local, national and international newspapers which can all be downloaded free with your library card. To join the library online (its free) or find out more about downloading items from the online library, visit eastridinglibraries.co.uk.

Customer Service Centres are closed for public drop-ins to avoid unnecessary contact where possible to support the Tier 3 restrictions. For residents needing essential customer service support, many answers can be found on the website http://www.eastriding.gov.uk or please contact the call centre on 01482 393939, if necessary a face-to-face appointment can be arranged. Please be aware that the volume of calls may be higher than usual.

The Mobile Library Service will continue to provide an order and collect service and customers of the at home service will still have their books delivered. For any questions about the mobile library service, please call the mobile library team on 01482 392749.

Caddy liners are available to collect from East Riding Libraries and Multi Service Centres.

The council is reminding residents that a range of online activities is available on the Active East Riding website : http://www.ActiveEastRiding.co.uk

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Here is the latest Tier 3 restrictions information covering East Riding Museums and East Riding Libraries - Bridlington Free Press

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Highlands Stuff A Bus event canceled

The Stuff A Bus event to benefit Toys for Tots that was scheduled Saturday at Highlands Middle School is canceled due to the districts change to remote learning.

Residents can take donations of new, unwrapped toys to dropoff locations in Heights Plaza near Community Market and Wireless Zone in the Highlands Mall Shoppes, both in Natrona Heights Harrison.

Virtual paint and sip event to benefit Myasthenia Gravis Association

The Myasthenia Gravis Association of Western Pennsylvania will host a virtual holiday paint and sip event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

Tickets are $50 and include a link to participate in the paint and sip event, supplies to create your own holiday snowflake wreath and two bottles of wine from Kavic Winery.

Checks payable to MGA of WPA should be mailed to 490 E. North Ave., Suite 410, Pittsburgh PA 15212. For details, call 412-566-1545.

Free drive-thru Nativity planned Sunday

Union Presbyterian Church will host a free drive-thru Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church, 656 Route 380, Washington Township.

Church members will create five live scenes from the Nativity story. Participants can hear the story on their car radio or click a link to hear it on their cell phone.

Calendar

Apollo-Ridge School District

Tuesday: Apollo-Ridge School Board will conduct the reorganization meeting at 6:30 p.m. online at Zoom.us. Access information: apolloridge.com

Burrell School District

Tuesday: Burrell School Board will conduct the reorganization and regular meetings at 7 p.m. online. Access information: burrell.k12.pa.us/board

Cheswick

Friday: Springdale Free Public Library will host a free outdoor Family Fun Night holiday party for children in prekindergarten through sixth grade and their families from 5 to 7 p.m. in Rachel Carson Park. There will be crafts and hot chocolate and children can drop off their wishes for Santa. Face masks required and space is limited to allow for social distancing. Registration required by Tuesday. Registration: 724-274-9729

Frazer

Tuesday: Frazer Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. in the township office, 592 Pittsburgh Mills Circle, Pittsburgh Mills Mall. Details: 724-274-4202

Freeport

Wednesday: The Thrift Store Clothing Ministry at Freeport United Methodist Church, 211 Fourth St., will be open from noon to 3 p.m. at the church. Winter clothing is available. Cash only. Donations must be laundered. Details: 724-295-2476

Harrison

Wednesday: Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Food Bank will be open to anyone in need from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 1913 Freeport Road, Natrona Heights. Pull into the center parking lot and food will be placed into your vehicle. Senior boxes are now being distributed Wednesdays instead of Thursdays. Those who are not yet registered should come after 3 p.m. Proof of income is no longer required. Donations: avaoc.org/donate/financial-support/

Dec. 8: Community Library of Allegheny Valley will offer a virtual presentation of, Twas the Night Before Christmas, performed by Stage Right online at 6:30 p.m. Registration required. Access information will be emailed. Registration: 724-226-3491 or eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=ALVALLEY&curID=466653

Kiski Township

Dec. 21: Kiski Township Volunteer Fire Department is accepting orders for pies, nut logs and pumpkin rolls from The Pie Shoppe in Laughlintown. Varieties: chocolate meringue, coconut meringue, lemon meringue, apple, dutch apple, blackberry, wild blueberry, razzleberry, cherry, peach, raisin, and pumpkin and pumpkin rolls, all $9.50; nut logs and pecan pies, $12. Paid orders due Dec. 9. Pickup: Dec. 21 at the firehall. Details and orders: call or text Morgan, 724-466-2812

Kiski Area School District

Wednesday: Kiski Area School Board will hold the reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. online followed by the agenda meeting. Details and access information: 724-842-0457 or john.tedorski@kiskiarea.com

Kiski Township

Dec. 31: Kiski Township Volunteer Fire Company is selling 2021 lottery calendars to benefit the company building fund. Cost: $30. Details: 724-478-4210

Leechburg

Wednesday: The free genealogy group at Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at the museum, 118 First St. Basic computer skills required. Ancestry.com and Newspaper.com are available. Details: Judy, 724-681-9154

Dec. 13: Leechburg Elks will have a vendor bingo at 1 p.m. at the lodge, 228 Market St. Doors open at noon. Admission: $20, includes 11 games with vendor prizes and one $250 must-go jackpot game. Food and beverages will be sold and there will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and small games of chance. Players must be at least 18 years old. Tickets: Ruth, 724-422-4913 or the lodge, 724-842-8071

Lower Burrell

Dec. 13: Lower Burrell Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary will hold its Christmas party at 1 p.m. at the post, Wildlife Lodge Road. All members welcome. Details and reservation information: see the post bulletin board.

New Kensington

Tuesday: The Redevelopment Authority of New Kensington will meet at 7 p.m. online at Zoom. us. Meeting ID: 810 8147 7535. Phone access: 646-558-8656

Oakmont

Dec. 9: A Vitalant community blood drive will be from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Oakmont Borough Building, 767 Fifth St. Appointments strongly recommended. Donations are tested for covid-19 antibodies. Appointments: 412-209-7000 or visit the Donate Blood button at Vitalant.org and search with group code C5300082

Tarentum

Tuesday: Tarentum Council will conduct a public hearing on the proposed multi-municipal comprehensive plan at 5:30 p.m. followed by the combined meeting at municipal building, 318 Second Ave. Details: 724-224-1818, ext. 100

Wednesday: Tarentum Elks will host bingo at 7 p.m. at the lodge, 219 E. Sixth Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m. The kitchen will be open.

Wednesdays: BridgePoint Church, 400 E. Ninth Ave., will host a parent-led learning pod from 1 to 4 p.m. in the church hall located on the lower level. Free high-speed internet, meals and access to the church childrens library will be provided. Use the Corbet Street entrance.

Upper Burrell

Wednesday: Upper Burrell Supervisors will hold the regular meeting at 7 p.m. at the township building, 3735 Seventh St. Details: 724-335-3517

Vandergrift

Dec. 16: A Holly Jolly Holiday basket raffle will take place through Dec. 16 to benefit Vandergrift Public Library. The prize will include a gift certificate for a whole fresh turkey from Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township, gift cards from Oakmont Bakery and Shop N Save, Sweetlane Chocolate, holiday drink ware and wine, holiday dcor and more. Cost: $5; or three for $10. Ticket sales close at 10 a.m. Dec. 16 and the drawing will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 16 on Facebook. Tickets: stop in at the library, 128C. Washington Ave., or visit Venmo online.

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch

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The Stroller, Nov. 30, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley - TribLIVE

Even after the coronavirus pandemic eases and most children return to their physical classrooms, millions of newly issued computing devices will need to connect to school networks, and some forms of remote instruction and two-way video conferencing will likely remain popular.

That new reality will likely mean yet another challenge and expense for the nation's beleaguered K-12 school districts, more than half of which do not currently offer the bandwidth necessary for all students to stream videos or access digital lessons simultaneously, according to a new report.

Nationwide, just 48 percent of districts, serving an estimated 15.3 million total students, currently provide the target bandwidth of 1 Megabit per second, per student in the classroom, according to the nonprofit Connected Nation (formerly EducationSuperHighway) and Funds for Learning, a consulting group, both of which have helped lead a decade-long push to improve school connectivity.

"Despite such progress, 67 percent of students still need access to scalable broadband for digital learning, a bandwidth gap affecting 31.5 million students," the groups wrote.

That finding is based on an analysis of the 2020 E-Rate applications of nearly 13,000 school districts in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Federal Communications Commission is responsible for the E-Rate program, which provides up to $3.9 billion annually to helps schools and libraries pay for connectivity equipment and services.

Since 2014, when the FCC modernized the program, nearly all schools have met or surpassed the commission's original bandwidth target of 100 kilobits per second, per student. To encourage schools to expand connectivity to allow for more devices and video streaming, the commission raised its target to 1 Mbps/student target during the 2017-18 school year.

In Arizona, Hawaii, and North and South Dakota, nearly all districts are now meeting that faster target, the new report found. In Kentucky, Maryland, and Rhode Island, however, fewer than 10 percent of districts do so.

In the months since COVID-19 forced schools to close their physical buildings, the reality that millions of American families lack adequate internet access at home has consumed the nation's attention.

As many as 15 million of the country's 50.7 million public school students lack adequate connectivity at home, according to a recent Common Sense Media survey. The challenge is particularly acute for Black, Hispanic, and Native American households.

For months, advocates have pushed the FCC to expand the program so that money can be used for at-home connectivity, but proposals to that effect have yet to gain traction.

In the meantime, however, the commission recently opened a second window for schools and libraries to apply for E-Rate funds for 2020. Earlier this year, officials there estimated that total demand was in the range of $2.9 billion dollars, far lower than the program's $4 billion annual cap.

The available dollars could go a long way towards closing the high-speed school internet gap identified by Connected Nation and Funds for Learning. The difference between 100 Kbps/student and 1Mbps/student of bandwidth will soon become painfully evident, the groups predicted.

"School networks must now be prepared to handle increasing amounts of traffic, particularly livestreaming and two-way video conferencing via applications like Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams as well as student devices and the digital learning applications installed on them," according to the report.

K-12 districts have made tremendous progress towards that goal in recent years. In 2015, just 8 percent of districts provided the faster bandwidth, compared with 47 percent now. Schools serving a total of more than 5.8 million students upgraded to such speeds just within the last year alone.

And despite the gap that remains, one of the best signs for schools is the falling price of connectivity, Connected Nation and Funds for Learning reported.

Bandwidth cost schools just $1.85 per megabit in 2020, down from nearly $10 per megabit just five years earlier. And particularly beneficial for schools' bottom line has been the expansion of fiber-optic networks, which are easily adapted to provide more bandwidth as it becomes needed, without adding substantial costs to schools' internet bills.

According to the new report, those schools already meeting the FCC's 1 Mbps/student target pay $1.50 less for bandwidth than schools offering slower speeds.

Credit: iStock/Getty

Excerpt from:
Half of Districts Lack Connectivity Needed for Widespread Videoconferencing, Device Usage - Education Week

Sports facilities and libraries across Aberdeenshire will close from 2pm on Christmas eve, reopening on January 5.

Live Life Aberdeenshire, which operates sports and cultural services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council, is closing almost all its facilities over the festive period.

The exceptions are Macduff Marine Aquarium and the area's two all-weather ski centres - Alford Ski Centre and Huntly Nordic and Outdoor Centre - which will continue to operate between Christmas and Hogmanay with reduced opening hours.

Interim Head of Service for Live Life Aberdeenshire, Avril Nicol, said: "This represents a longer period of closure than in previous years, for a number of reasons.

"Traditionally the Christmas period is one of our quietest and the well-publicised difficult budget position Aberdeenshire Council finds itself in means it is not economical to open in most cases.

"Many of our team members were also redeployed into important but difficult frontline work while our facilities were closed during lockdown and this period of closure will make sure they get an appropriate chance to rest and recover."

Those libraries which were due to offer click and collect and home delivery, or other services, on the afternoon of December 24 will now make these available earlier in the day.

While facilities are closed, you can still access online library services, make and do activities and exercise at home videos, amongst many other resources, on the Live Life @ Home resource athttps://bit.ly/LLAhome

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Aberdeenshire sports facilities and libraries to close over Christmas and New Year - Grampian Online

IQM Quantum Computers (IQM) the European leader in building superconducting quantum computers, today announced that it has raised 39 M in Series A funding, bringing the total amount of funding raised to date to 71 M.

This ranks among the highest fundraising rounds by a European deep-tech startup within a year. MIG Fonds has led this round, with participation from all existing investors including Tesi, OpenOcean, Maki.vc, Vito Ventures, Matadero QED. New investors Vsquared, Salvia GmbH, Santo Venture Capital GmbH, and Tencent, have also joined this round.

"IQM has a strong track record of research and in achieving high growth. They continue to attract the best global talent across functions and have exceeded their hardware and software milestones. We are thrilled to lead this round and continue to support IQM as the company accelerates its next phase of business and hardware growth," said Axel Thierauf, Partner at MIG Fonds, and Chairman of the Board of IQM.

Since 2019, IQM has been among the fastest-growing companies in the quantum computing sector and already has one of the world's largest quantum hardware engineering teams. This funding will be used to accelerate IQMs hardware development and to co-design application-specific quantum computers. A significant part of the funding will also be used to attract and retain the best global talent in quantum computing, and to establish sales and business development teams.

"Today's announcement is part of our ongoing Series-A funding round. I am extremely pleased with the confidence our investors have shown in our vision, team, product, and the ability to execute and commercialize quantum computers. This investment also shows their continued belief in building the future of quantum technologies. This is a significant recognition for our fantastic team that has achieved all our key milestones from the previous round. We're just getting started," said Jan Goetz, CEO of IQM.

"It is impressive to be a part of the IQM journey and see the progress of their technology. We're proud to see another startup from Finland making a global impact. IQM will have a lasting impact on the future of computing, and consequently will help solve some of the global challenges related to healthcare, climate change and development of sustainable materials among many others," said Juha Lehtola, Head of Direct VC Investments at Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment).

IQM delivers on-premises quantum computers for research laboratories and supercomputing centers. For industrial customers, IQM follows an innovative co-design strategy to deliver quantum advantage based on application-specific processors, using novel chip architectures and ultrafast quantum operations. IQM provides the full hardware stack for a quantum computer, integrating different technologies, and invites collaborations with quantum software companies.

"We want to invest in deep technology startups that shape the future and advance society. IQM is the perfect example of a company that is on top of its game; their work on quantum computing will make an impact for generations to come," said Herbert Mangesius, Founding Partner at Vsquared and Vito Ventures.

While quantum computing is still under development, governments and private organizations across the world are investing today to retain their competitive edge and become quantum-ready for the future.

The next decade will be the decade of quantum technology, and we will see major breakthroughs with real-world applications using quantum computers in healthcare, logistics, finance, chemistry and beyond.

About IQM Quantum Computers:

IQM is the European leader in superconducting quantum computers, headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Since its inception in 2018, IQM has grown to 70+ (TBC) employees and has also established a subsidiary in Munich, Germany, to lead the co-design approach. IQM delivers on-premises quantum computers for research laboratories and supercomputing centers and provides complete access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers quantum advantage through a unique application-specific co-design approach. IQM has also received a 3.3 M grant from Business Finland and has been awarded a 15 M equity investment from the EIC Accelerator program.

For more information, visit http://www.meetiqm.com

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Europe Is on Its Way To Quantum Leadership, IQM Raises 39 M in Series A Funding - Embedded Computing Design

Quantum particle, quantum mechanics . 3d illustration

In last weeks podcast, Enrique Blair on quantum computing, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks talks with fellow computer engineer Enrique Blair about why quantum mechanics is so strange. But scientists have learned to work with QM, despite many questions, like how to work with particles that can be in two different places (quantum superposition):

[Starts at approximately 13:16.] The Show Notes and transcript follow.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Robert J. Marks: Whats superposition? Whats going on there?

Enrique Blair: Quantum superposition is really a mathematical description. We use wave functions to describe these particles. Theres a wave function for the photon going through Slit One and a wave function for the photon going through Slit Two. To describe it going through both slits, we have a linear combination of those two wave functions and so you have a more general wave function. Thats the heart of quantum computing because in classical computing, we have bits like zero or one. And in quantum computing, we like to use these superpositions of zero and one. Its not one or the other, its something of both.

Robert J. Marks: Its kind of like Invisible Boy (pictured) in Mystery Men. When you dont look, zero and one are both there.

Note: Invisible Boy is a resident of Champion City who spent most of his adolescent life ignored even by his own father. Eventually he discovered that after years of being overlooked, he had developed the power of invisibility, but it only works as long as no one (including himself) is looking at him. Mystery Men Fan Wiki

Enrique Blair: Thats right. Oddly enough, there is no mathematical definition that rigorously describes measurement. Its one we havent quite figured out yet.

Robert J. Marks: Tell us what a wave function is.

Enrique Blair: A wave function describes the state of a quantum system and it contains everything we can know about that quantum system. But we manipulate these things or we extract meaning from them using quantum mechanical operators. These operators describe things like time evolution or the total energy of the system, or some observable quantity like position or momentum.

The wave function itself is not the probability density. You have to take the magnitude squared. And then you get probabilities.

Note: It amounts to doing mathematics with probabilities rather than exact figures. In the experiments about atomic events we have to do with things and facts, with phenomena that are just as real as any phenomena in daily life. But the atoms or the elementary particles themselves are not as real; they form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than one of things or facts. ( Werner Heisenberg, a quantum mechanics pioneer, Physics and Philosophy, p. 186)

Enrique Blair (pictured): Okay. The wave functionwhen you take its magnitude squared you get the probabilities of various outcomes for measurement when you also use an operator. But really, the stunning thing is thats all you get.

You get probabilities for outcomes. You cant predict with certainty which outcome is going to result when you make a measurement. Thats the subject of one of the papers we wrote recently, just using quantum mechanics to make something thats a truly random number generator.

You know well that computers cant generate random numbers because theyre deterministic.

Robert J. Marks: Which is really surprising because you see random numbers used a lot in gaming machines, like in casinos.

And theyre not random numbers, theyre pseudo-random numbers. They actually use an algorithm.

Physics and engineering professor Craig Lent has talked about randomness and the ability of quantum mechanics to generate true randomness. In fact, this is the only pure source of randomness there is. He said you can go to amazon.com and buy yourself a random number generator based on quantum mechanics that really spits out 100% random numbers. Thats amazing.

Note: Heres a random number generator (RNG) for sale at Amazon. Why cant we just think up and write down random numbers? That doesnt really work because humans always think in patterns, whether we notice them or not. And if we try to write an algorithm to produce random numbers, that is a pattern too. Quantum mechanics can, however, generate random numbers because there is no specific prior position.

Robert J. Marks: In the quantum world, when you measure something, you kind of mess around with the wave equation when you measure it. And then it collapses in accordance to its probability. Is that kind of the way it is?

Enrique Blair: Yeah, thats true. Like I said, the Schrdinger equation describes the time evolution of the system if you dont measure it or dont look at it or dont interact with it. But then once you measure it, you get one of these probabilities and you radically change the wave function and its in the state that corresponds to the result that you got. Previous to that, its a quantum superposition of many different states.

Note: Is quantum mechanics practical? Quantum computers, as their name implies, operate on the bizarre principles of quantum mechanics to manipulate information, and are poised to revolutionize our computing capabilities. With companies like IBM and Google already building the first prototypes, they are expected to propel technology forward with greater speed, accuracy, and security by completing tasks that would be otherwise impossible for ordinary computers to handle. Advanced Science News More on how that works later.

Next: The Truth about Schrdingers cat.

Previous: Heres why the quantum world is just so strange. It underlies our universe but it follows its own rules, which dont make sense to the rest of us. Computer engineer Enrique Blair explains to Robert J. Marks the simple experiment that shows why so many scientists find the quantum world mind-blowing.

Podcast Transcript Download

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How Scientists Have Learned To Work With the Quantum World - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

The company has divested non-core exploration tenements during 2020 to fund its advance materials business with a focus on quantum computing.

() (FRA:38A) executive chairman Greg English told the Annual General Meeting today that, despite the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company hadachieved considerable progress in the transition away from mineral exploration and toward materials technology.

He said: In less than two years since announcing the commencement of our 12CQ project, we have made substantial progress on creating a new culture and identity, while maintaining our habit of doing high-quality work cost-effectively.

During the year we delivered all that we announced at the start of the year and more.

We further sharpened Archer's strategic focus on quantum technology, human health and reliable energy.

English said: We continued to divest non-core exploration tenements and assets as a means of funding the Advanced Materials Business, and on July 2, 2020, completed the divestment of the Leigh Creek Magnesite Project for $2.8 million.

The companys exploration tenements are no longer core to its materials technology strategyand Archer will continue to sell mineral exploration projects to fund the Advanced Materials Business.

English said: Our primary focus during the past 12 months has been on the development of the room temperature quantum computer chip.

We believe that over the next few years that quantum computing will move from the high-tech lab to mainstream commercial use, representing the next major breakthrough in modern IT.

Quantum computing represents a sweeping technological breakthrough that is set to change so much of the way we work and interact.

English said: Our most notable transaction during the year was the collaboration agreement with IBM ().

As part of the contract between Archer and IBM, Archer is the first Australian company building a quantum computing qubit processor to join the global IBM Q Network as an ecosystem partner.

We have already begun accessing IBM's quantum computing expertise and resources, and opensource Qiskit software and developer tools.

During the year, the company also continued to develop IP associated with a potential solution to graphene-based biosensors capable of complex detection of disease having designed a set of new graphene materials that could be directly applied for enhanced biosensing.

English said: Technologically, we have made considerable progress with developing the biosensing interface, data processing, and design and fabrication of materials electrodes critical to the biosensor technology function and will continue this work in 2021.

English said: In building a deep tech company, we have not limited our vision to the next quarter or even to the following two but are re-shaping the company for the next 20 or 30 years.

By developing our advanced materials business, we have laid the foundation for a new era of technology and business.

We are now the only ASX-listed company that offers shareholders exposure to the ever-growing world of quantum computing.

While the company has made considerable progress in a short amount of time, English said it was easy to forget that Archer was still in the early stages of a long cycle of a technological revolution.

He said: With our advanced materials business, we have deliberately selected technologies that we believe can make a real contribution to society and help to find solutions to global challenges.

We believe that this strategy will enable us to optimise value for our shareholders and have a long-term positive impact on the company.

In line with the transition, the company's market cap has increased to $120.3 million.Since March shares have traded from 12cents to a record of 81.5 cents and today have been as much as 55 cents.

Originally posted here:

Archer Materials makes strong progress in shifting focus to Advanced Materials Business and technology - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

01 Communique to Present at the Benzinga Global Small Cap Conference on December 8 ACCESSWIRE 2020-11-30

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE /November 30, 2020 /01 Communique Laboratory Inc. (TSXV:ONE)(OTCQB:OONEF) (the "Company") one of the first-to-market, enterprise level cybersecurity providers for the quantum computing era today announced that the Company will be presenting at the upcoming virtual Benzinga Global Small Cap Conferenceon Tuesday, December 8th at 12:00PM ET and will also be hosting virtual one-to-one investor meetings with management. Complimentary investor registration and virtual one-to-one meeting requests can be accessed through the conference link above.

The inaugural Benzinga Global Small Cap Conference is planned for December 8th and 9th in an entirely virtual setting. Designed to bridge the gap between publicly traded companies, investors and traders, the Conference will enable small-cap companies to network and communicate with a broad and diverse investor base.

About IronCAP and IronCAP X:

IronCAP is at the forefront of the cyber security market and is designed to protect our customers from cyber-attacks. IronCAP's patent-pending cryptographic system is designed to protect users and enterprises against the ever-evolving illegitimate and malicious means of gaining access to their data today as well as in the future with the introduction of powerful quantum computers. Based on improved Goppa code-based encryption it is designed to be faster and more secure than current standards. It operates on conventional computer systems, so users are protected today while being secure enough to safeguard against future attacks from the world of quantum computers. An IronCAP API is available which allows vendors of a wide variety of vertical applications to easily transform their products to ensure their customers are safe from cyber-attacks today and from quantum computers in the future.

IronCAP X, a new cybersecurity product for email/file encryption, incorporating our patent-pending technology was made available for commercial use on April 23, 2020. The new product has two major differentiations from what is in the market today. Firstly, many offerings in today's market store users secured emails on email-servers for recipients to read, making email-servers a central target of cyber-attack. IronCAP X, on the other hand, delivers each encrypted message end-to-end to the recipients such that only the intended recipients can decrypt and read the message. Consumers' individual messages are protected, eliminating the hackers' incentive to attack email servers of email providers. Secondly, powered by our patent-pending IronCAP technology, we believe IronCAP Xis the world's first quantum-safe end-to-end email encryption system; secured against cyberattacks from today's systems and from quantum computers in the future. Consumers and businesses using our new products will have tomorrow's cybersecurity today.

About 01 Communique

Established in 1992, 01 Communique (TSX-V: ONE; OTCQB: OONEF) has always been at the forefront of technology. The Company's cyber security business unit focuses on post-quantum cybersecurity with the development of its IronCAP technology. IronCAP's patent-pending cryptographic system is an advanced Goppa code-based post-quantum cryptographic technology that can be implemented on classical computer systems as we know them today while at the same time can also safeguard against attacks in the future post-quantum world of computing. The Company's remote access business unit provides its customers with a suite of secure remote access services and products under its I'm InTouch and I'm OnCall product offerings. The remote access offerings are protected in the U.S.A. by its patents #6,928,479 / #6,938,076 / #8,234,701; in Canada by its patents #2,309,398 / #2,524,039 and in Japan by its patent #4,875,094. For more information, visit the Company's web site at http://www.ironcap.ca and http://www.01com.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking" statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, such statements use such words as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "plan", "intend", "are confident" and other similar terminology. Such statements include statements regarding the business prospects of IronCAP X, the future of quantum computers and their impact on the Company's product offering, the functionality of the Company's products and the intended product lines for the Company's technology. These statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the matters discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, a delay in the anticipated adoption of quantum computers and a corresponding delay in Q day, the ability for the Company to generate sales, and gain adoption of, IronCAP X, the ability of the Company to raise financing to pursue its business plan, competing products that provide a superior product, competitors with greater resources and the factors discussed under "Risk and Uncertainties" in the company's Management`s Discussion and Analysis document filed on SEDAR. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Brian Stringer Chief Financial Officer 01 Communique (905) 795-2888 x204 Brian.stringer@01com.com

SOURCE:01 Communique Laboratory, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/618717/01-Communique-to-Present-at-the-Benzinga-Global-Small-Cap-Conference-on-December-8

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01 Communique to Present at the Benzinga Global Small Cap Conference on December 8 - IT News Online