5 Questions with quantum scientist Dr Tan Si-Hui

IMAGINE a future where computers can solve a problem that would have taken current machines 10,000 years to crack. That’s the possibility that quantum science startups are vying for, even as no one has built a commercial quantum computer yet.

Among the startups in this field is Singapore’s Horizon Quantum Computing, which is developing tools that could prepare us for a quantum future. Its chief science officer, Dr Tan Si-Hui, spent over 18 years diving into the great unknowns of quantum science, before taking the leap into the startup world.

She gives us a dummy-proof guide on what quantum computing is, why it matters, and how you could be part of the field even without a specialised PhD.