Bazinga! Scientists break quantum teleportation distance record

The future of cybersecurity is almost certainly quantum mechanics and this week we moved one step closer as researchers announced they “teleported” or transmitted quantum encrypted data over 102 kilometers — about 63 miles — exceeding the previous record by a factor of four.

The breakthrough was reported on Wednesday in a new research paper in Optica.

It's heady stuff, but with real-world implications. To get to the bottom of it, Mashable spoke to National Institute of Standards and Technology staff scientist Martin Stevens, who worked with visiting Japanese scientist and lead author of the study, Hiroki Takesue. Stevens did his best to simultaneously explain quantum physics and the impact of their work. Read more...