MICROSOFT
Questioning Microsoft’s quantum flex
Microsoft’s quantum computing claims are under fresh scrutiny after UK physicist Dr Henry Legg questioned its research in Nature.
Legg argued that a software tool used to check Microsoft’s work had coding errors and was not accurate enough.
He also said Microsoft still has not proved it created Majorana, the theoretical particle at the centre of its quantum computing approach.
Microsoft has defended its findings, saying scientific scepticism is part of the process.
In its response, Microsoft states that the software Legg criticised did not interpret the measurements which led to its conclusions.
The company also said it is sharing data with DARPA for independent review, though some details remain commercially sensitive.
The main points:
A UK physicist has questioned Microsoft’s quantum claims in Nature.
Microsoft says it stands by the research and is sharing data with DARPA.
The bigger issue is whether Microsoft has truly proved the Majorana breakthrough it needs.
Nature adds side-eye
The debate matters because Microsoft has spent more than 20 years chasing this quantum route.
If it works, it could help build powerful computers able to solve problems today’s machines cannot handle.
Tiny catch: quantum computers are still extremely fragile and can be thrown off by small changes in temperature or vibration. Very normal, also very dramatic.
This is not Microsoft’s first quantum controversy.
A Microsoft-backed paper was retracted in 2021, and Nature added a warning note to another Microsoft paper in 2025.
Microsoft also says its newer Majorana chip is 1,000 times more reliable than the version whose results were questioned. Critics say the proof still needs to catch up with the promise.
Event scientists have group project drama LOL.- MG