Single-Photon LED: Key To Uncrackable Encryption? 228
nut writes: "The BBC are carrying this story of new type of LED so precise that it can emit just one photon of light each time it is switched on. It has been developed by scientists from Toshiba Research Limited and the University of Cambridge. It is described in the journal Science, although I can find no mention of it on their website. One of the applications of this is supposedly uncrackable encryption, due to the law of indeterminacy. This application is described fully in 'The Code Book', by Simon Singh, although the method was only theoretical at the time the book was first published."
New technology (Score:4, Funny)
Of course, we'd have to switch the slider back to 100% social for a couple weeks to quell the riots that resulted in a week of no police, social services, or law. But... nifty new toys!
Re:uncrackable encryption or no, that's just cool (Score:2, Funny)
Maybe not the *key*, necessarily... (Score:2, Funny)
"We need the detection technology for single photons," said Dr Shields. "But most of the other elements are there. It uses standard telecoms cables.
This sounds like a promising breakthough, although I can't help but wonder how far off in the future the detection technology is. I can claim that I have the key to teleporter technology, object decelerator technology (big, fluffy pillows), but I still need object accelerator technology (a large enough catapult).
Then again *yawn* this object decelerator technology is so comfy... maybe I'll just take a nap...
Re:Irresponsible (Score:5, Funny)
Now just imagine the ramifications of allowing secure encryption! What if Osama bin Laden had one of these terminals hooked up in his cave? Instead of using letters and his international installation of terrorists to securely transmit instructions face-to-face, he could have IM'd them! We MUST stop this trend towards privacy and technological innovation if we are going to continue to lead the world in human rights and technological innovations into the future!
Strongest crypto for Britney (Score:3, Funny)
With the RIAA, the MPAA, MS's DRM OS and this, I can imagine: the whole collection of Britney Spears works protected by quantum crypto.
What a waste.
* shivers *
Re:NOT Uncrackable (Score:3, Funny)
Re:One Time Pads and Quantum Entanglement (Score:3, Funny)
That's the worst pun I've read in a long time.
Bravo!
Re:New technology (Score:3, Funny)
Wanna trade world maps?