Wynpress
The Rotary Club of Wynberg
President: Alan Jackson Secretary: Rob Murphy Treasurer: Mike Schreiber
0835248724 0837267060 0834140462
Editorial Board: Barry Cleveland, Lina Howard, Hugh Maunder, String Smith, Keela van
By midday on Fri Niekerk
Vol: 68 No: 11
15 September 2016
EDITORIAL
Quantum Computers are coming – the world may not be ready! Quantum mechanics, Carl Sagan once observed, is so strange that “common sense is almost useless in approaching it.” Scientists still don’t understand exactly why matter behaves as it does at the quantum level. Yet they’re getting better at exploiting its peculiar dynamics — in ways that may soon upend the technology business. One of the most interesting applications is in computing. In theory, quantum computers could take advantage of odd subatomic interactions to solve certain problems far faster than a conventional machine could. Although a full-scale quantum computer is still years off, scientists have lately made a lot of progress on the materials, designs and methods needed to make one. And that could have some striking benefits. Quantum computers could simulate how atoms and molecules behave, to the great advantage of chemists and drug designers. They could solve optimization problems — say, how to efficiently route airplane traffic — far faster than current technology can. They could speed advances in artificial intelligence, improve sensors, and lead to the design of stronger and lighter industrial materials. Unsurprisingly, then, investment in the field is surging. IBM, Microsoft and Google are all building quantum research labs. Start-ups are gearing up. Banks are very interested indeed. Governments see applications for space exploration, medical research and intelligence-gathering. America’s National Security Agency, in fact, has been quietly trying to build a quantum computer for years, in the hope that it would make an unstoppable code-breaker. And that suggests a looming problem. To simplify it a bit, the cryptographic tools commonly used to protect information online rely on very hard maths problems, such as factoring large integers, which normal computers can’t solve in a reasonable time frame. Quantum computers, though, could probably make quick work of such equations. As a result, they could undermine the security of everything from mobile phones to e-commerce to cloud computing. Within two decades, by some estimates, quantum computers may be able to break all public-key encryption now in use. “The impact on the world economy,” says the non-profit Cloud Security Alliance, “could be devastating”. Submitted by Barry Cleveland
Duty Roster Compiled by Lina Howard Attendance Visitors Fellowship From the President
Slots
Guest Speaker
Swindle
Minutes
8 September 2016
17 members present Wendy Vermeulen (Guest Speaker), Kerry, Jess, Nicole (Rotaract), Dottie from USA None announced
Welcomed all visitors and especially Dottie who returns to our shores Reminders: Haugaland visit 14th Oct – 27Oct Steenberg Rotoract 27th Oct
KERRY- 1. Asking for help at Uncle Pauls (60th Year). They need a ‘NODDY’ please. New Jobs: Checking tickets 2. Rotaract have chartered 2 new Early Interact clubs BIFFY- 1. Wine Festival on 7 Oct. 15 tickets reserved at R200 each. Only 2 remaining 2. RFHD – less than a month away: 4th -6th Oct – please respond JUSTIN- 1. 17th September – Interact Workshop – help required 2. Quiz on 29th Sept – 18.30 – prizes needed. Respond to Ruth DAVE- 16th Sept – preparing hamburgers for Interact workshop + Braai at Dave’s house 18.30- bring own meat & drinks.
Wendy Vermeulen spoke to us about a wonderful project which assists those who have intellectual disabilities – a group called Brownies and Downies. This all began in the Netherlands 6 years ago. There is a training programme to teach them how to work in various positions in a restaurant. Work opportunities are scarce for them so Wendy tries to get positions for them at Spar. Wendy’s obvious love for her job and her dedication to those in her training group was inspiring. NB The club is invited to a brunch at Brownies and Downies restaurant, 2 Long Street at 10.00 on Saturday 29 October. Please diarise now and a list be circulated closer to the time – including a very tempting menu! Sadly no swindle today as String on vacation and Toddy busy
Duty Roster September Sergeant
15
G Todd
22
Barnard
Wynpress Editorial
Danckwerts
Dessington
Door Duty
Justin
Howard
29
QUIZZ
October 6 Business Mtg Cleveland Dietrich Smith
Wynpress Minutes
K v Niekerk
Grace
Howard
Cleveland
International Toast
Cleveland
Gowdy
Howard
Speaker Thanks
Lidgley
Overbosch
N/A
Loyal Toast
Speaker Intro
Entertainment for the month
Lidgley Are
Dessignton, Gowdy, Howard, Hovstad
Maunder
Murphy
SOCIAL
Schreiber
Going Forward
Murphy
Danckwerts Bayes N/A
Maunder Overbosch Schreiber M Smith, Todd
Dates To Diarise Sept 15 Sept 17 Sept 22 Sept 29 Oct 4-6 Oct 5 Oct 7
Oct 14 Oct 20
Brian Ingpen, founder and principal of Lawhill Maritime Centre, Simonstown and weekly columnist on nautical matters, will talk on the work of the centre. Interact Workshop at Sachs
Lorenzo Davids, CEO of community Chest and past member of the club, will speak on the Chest’s 87 year history of empowering the poor. Quiz evening. Details in Slots (above) Rotary Family Health Day
Top Cops Awards at Victoria Junction Hotel. 18.30 Constantia RC Wine festival (Biffy – Tickets)
Haugaland students and teachers + principals from 7 NLC schools
Muavia Gallie of Education Moving Up (a previous presenter to the club, concerning the many problems facing the SA education system), will highlight the most urgent issues requiring intervention in our schools, the way in which their intervention occurs and the results they achieve.
Date Reminders