Quantum Fraud, Shooting Drones, & Pretty Faces
This week’s science bits from SWTG
Another Quantum Computing Company Accused of Fraud
Image: Screenshot of Quantum Computing Inc Website.
An anonymous report on Scribd (an online document-sharing platform) alleges that the publicly traded company Quantum Computing Inc (Nasdaq: QUBT) deliberately deceives investors. According to its website, the company produces photonic components that, while not quantum computers themselves, are elements of some quantum computing approaches.
The report claims, among other things, that QUBT lied about its relation with NASA: Instead of having won two NASA contracts and four subcontracts, they have, according to NASA themselves, merely one contract valued at $26,000. The report also claims that QUBT has repeatedly signed fake deals just to put out press releases, presumably to the end of pumping their stocks, and that QUBT claimed to have opened a foundry when they just leased a small space for an R&D lab. You can read the full report here.
Two years ago, another publicly traded quantum computing company, IONQ, was accused of deceiving investors over the maturity (or existence) of their quantum devices. They have been more careful with their press releases since.
German Government Moves to Authorize Shooting Down Drones
A month ago, headlines were full of reports about drone sightings in the United States. What received far less attention is that unidentified drones have been spotted in Germany, too: At a U.S. military base, but also near big infrastructure, such as the BASF chemical plant in Ludwigshafen, which I see out of my office window. The suspects most often named are Russians. The German cabinet has now authorized the military to shoot down such drones, though the law still needs to be approved by the government.
Facial Attractiveness Probably Not Linked to Health
A review of studies on the link between facial attractiveness and health found that, contrary to the popular narrative, people with more symmetrical or otherwise visually appealing faces are not in any measurable way healthier than the rest of us mediocre-looking folks. Yet another popular science myth that should be buried. Paper here.