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Quantum Theory: Computers
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[T]heorists at the surreal frontier of quantum theory are conjuring up thought experiments that could unveil the riddle in the enigma once and for all. David Deutsch of the University of Oxford thinks it should be possible, at least in principle, to build a "quantum computer," one that achieves superposition of states. Deutsch has shown that if different superposed states of the computer can work on separate parts of a problem at the same time, the computer may achieve a kind of quantum parallelism, solving certain problems more quickly than classical computers.
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This raises the idea of building a computer that would take advantage of quantum theory by trying out all sorts of paths, but making sure that paths that give the wrong answer cancel out! It seems that Feynman was the first to seriously consider quantum computation: Simulating physics with computers, by Richard Feynman, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 21, nos. 6/7, pp. 467--488 (1982).
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Decoherence, as Dr. Zurek notes, takes the observer off a pedestal and relieves quantum theory of some of its mysticism, but there is plenty of weirdness left. Take the quantum computer, which Dr. Lederman refers to as "a kinder, gentler interpretation of quantum spookiness."
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