Quantum Computers: Myths and Reality

Quantum computing is widely promoted as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionize fields as diverse as artificial intelligence, finance, optimization, and materials science. Yet the public narrative surrounding quantum computing often diverges sharply from the technical realities acknowledged by specialists. This paper examines the roots of this discrepancy by distinguishing the genuine scientific achievements of quantum information theory from the speculative expectations projected onto quantum hardware. After outlining the central practical challenges posed by noise, decoherence, and the extreme overhead of quantum error correction, we argue that the path to large-scale, general-purpose quantum computers remains uncertain and potentially infeasible. Drawing a historical parallel with the nuclear fusion project, we illustrate how a theoretically elegant idea may confront fundamental obstacles in physical implementation. We further analyze the sources of technological hype in both scientific and popular discourse and highlight more realistic avenues for progress, such as quantum simulation and quantum-inspired classical computation. Finally, we revisit the conceptual foundations of quantum computational advantage and emphasize that constructive probability interference - rather than superposition or entanglement alone - may provide the true insight into quantum speedups. The goal of this note is not to diminish the value of quantum information research but to restore balance between promise and feasibility, clarifying what quantum computers can and cannot achieve in practice.