Quantum Computing: Technology AND Science

Peter Shor's discovery of the factoring algorithm guaranteed that quantum computing would try to become a technology. This was a tall order, given that in 1994 quantum computing was barely more than a scientific concept. But from that year onward, the question always was, "when will we have a quantum computer?" The answer was mostly, "a long time from now." But in recent times there has been definite progress -- what once were physics experiments have morphed into installations. I will tell something of this story, concentrating on my interests in solid state quantum computers. But I will also reflect on the fact that, throughout these thirty years, the dreams about the "installation" have, time and again, fueled novel scientific insights, both about the nature of quantum computing, but also about the solid-state physics underlying our qubits.