Classical computers — in your phone, laptop, and every data centre on Earth — process information as bits: a strict 0 or 1. Every calculation is ultimately a cascade of binary decisions.

Quantum computers exploit the strange laws of quantum mechanics, where a qubit can be 0, 1, or both simultaneously — a state called superposition. Couple multiple qubits via entanglement and you create a machine capable of exploring millions of possibilities in parallel.

For certain critical problems — cracking encryption, simulating molecules, optimizing vast networks — this delivers exponential advantages over the most powerful classical supercomputers on the planet.