Quantum computer solves problem, without running

"Using an optical-based quantum computer, a research team led by physicist Paul Kwiat has presented the first demonstration of "counterfactual computation," inferring information about an answer, even though the computer did not run. The researchers report their work in the Feb. 23 issue of Nature." . . .

"'By placing our photon in a quantum superposition of running and not running the search algorithm, we obtained information about the answer even when the photon did not run the search algorithm,'" said graduate student Onur Hosten, lead author of the Nature paper. 'We also showed theoretically how to obtain the answer without ever running the algorithm, by using a 'chained Zeno' effect.'"

I think that one of the commenters on the digg post where I found this said it best: "*brain explodes*"

Cameron, you wanna take a crack at this one?