tellmarcosIn the age of rapid technological advancement, the concept of a quantum internet has captured the imagination of scientists and researchers worldwide. Unlike the classical internet we use today, a quantum internet promises to revolutionize communication by harnessing the strange and counterintuitive properties of quantum mechanics. In this article, we'll delve into the fascinating world of the quantum internet, exploring its potential applications, challenges, and the current state of research. tellhappystar tellgamestopWhat is the Quantum Internet? tellgamestop telldunkin.clickTo understand the quantum internet, we must first grasp the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales, where classical physics no longer applies. Key features of quantum mechanics include superposition and entanglement, which form the foundation of quantum communication. tellculvers tellcitybbqSuperposition: In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This property allows quantum bits or qubits to represent both 0 and 1 at the same time, significantly increasing computational power. tellcaribou tellbrueggersEntanglement: When two quantum particles become entangled, their properties become correlated in such a way that the state of one particle instantaneously affects the state of the other, regardless of the distance separating them. This property is at the heart of quantum teleportation and quantum cryptography. tellbostonmarket The Quantum Internet's Potential Applications: Ultra-Secure Communication: One of the most promising applications of the quantum internet is quantum cryptography, which enables perfectly secure communication. Any attempt to eavesdrop on quantum-encrypted messages would disrupt the entangled particles, alerting both the sender and receiver to the intrusion. Quantum Teleportation: Although it won't lead to instantaneous transportation as seen in science fiction, quantum teleportation allows the transfer of quantum states between distant locations, making it a crucial tool for quantum computing and communication. Quantum Computing: The quantum internet will pave the way for quantum computing, which has the potential to solve complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers. This could revolutionize fields like drug discovery, cryptography, and optimization. Challenges and Current Research: Building a quantum internet is no easy task and is fraught with challenges. Some of the key hurdles include: Quantum Decoherence: Quantum systems are extremely delicate and susceptible to external interference, leading to decoherence, which disrupts quantum states. Researchers are working on developing error-correction techniques to mitigate this issue. Quantum Repeaters: As entangled particles lose their coherence over distance, the development of quantum repeaters is crucial to extend the range of quantum communication. This involves creating intermediate nodes that re-establish entanglement between distant qubits. Practical Implementation: Transforming theoretical concepts into practical, scalable technologies is a significant challenge. Researchers are exploring various physical systems, such as trapped ions, superconducting circuits, and photon-based approaches, to create viable quantum communication devices. The quantum internet holds immense promise for the future of communication and computing. While many challenges remain to be overcome, researchers are making rapid progress in developing the necessary technologies. As the quantum internet inches closer to reality, it has the potential to transform industries, enhance security, and unlock new frontiers in science and technology, ushering in an era of truly quantum communication.

A new dead country: Iceland to stop issuing stamps – Internet Philatelic Dealers Association Inc

A new dead country: Iceland to stop issuing stamps

By Denise McCarty

Iceland Post has announced that it will stop issuing new postage stamps as of Oct. 29.

A May 7 post by on the Facebook page of Iceland Post’s philatelic division, Postphil, said stamps planned for release Oct. 29 “will be Iceland Post’s very last issues.”

In 2019, Iceland Post had reported that it planned to stop issuing stamps, but suggested that the last new issues would be in 2021.

But the end is coming sooner. Iceland Post’s customer experience manager Brynjar Smari Runarsson told Linn’s in an email, “Last year Posturinn [Iceland Post] announced that this would be the last year the company would release stamps for collectors. October will be the final release.”

Runarsson also said that new printings of already-issued stamps are possible in the future.

“We have plenty of stamps in stock for customers and will continue to use them,” Runarsson said. “If we foresee a shortage we will probably reprint older stamps in order to have sufficient stamps for senders.”

Iceland issued its first stamps in 1873 when it was part of the kingdom of Denmark. It became an independent republic June 17, 1944.

As of the end of 2019, Iceland had issued more than 1,500 stamps, according to the listings in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue and in the Scott New Listings Update in the March 16 issue of Linn’s.

So far this year, Iceland Post has issued 11 stamps on May 7. These include single stamps for the centenaries of the Icelandic Met (meteorological) Office), the Supreme Court of Iceland and equal voting rights for all Icelandic citizens, and for the 50th anniversaries of the Reykjavik Arts Festival and Iceland’s membership in the European Free Trade Association. Two stamps each were issued in the following series: Domestic Animals, Tourism and Europa.

According to its 2020 stamp program, the Oct. 29 issues will include single stamps in the multination Norden (Nordic countries) and Sepac (small European postal Administrations) series, and single commemoratives for the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Falcon, the 250th anniversary of the Icelandic Land Commission, and the 800th anniversary of the beginning of the Age of the Sturlungs. Also scheduled to be issued Oct. 29 are two Christmas stamps and two stamps depicting garden vegetables.

For further details about the May 7 and Oct. 29 stamps, see the Philatelic Foreword column in the March 30 issue of Linn’s.

In the May 7 Facebook post, Postphil said, “As these will be Iceland Post’s very last issues, we hope you will appreciate the care and dedication put into their making and design.”

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