02 | Dead and Alive: Quantum attack

It's 1994, and a mathematical algorithm puts a spotlight on quantum computing for the first time.

Defence departments, spy agencies and cybersecurity experts are on edge over the explosive Shor's algorithm.

They spend decades and billions of dollars searching for a solution before something called "Q-day" arrives.

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Dr Henry Everitt

Senior technologist for optical sciences, US Army

Emeritus Professor Charles Clark

Physicist, formerly National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Dr Sushmita Ruj

Associate professor, University of New South Wales' Institute for Cybersecurity

Special thanks to Nick Adams for reading Peter Shor's limerick.