Quark and gluon physics in the age of quantum computers

The strong force felt by quarks and gluons is at the core of our world and it plays an important role in several domains, such as particle physics, neutron stars, and the early universe.  In some situations, rigorous quantitative calculations can only be attained through a large-scale computational method called lattice QCD.  Fifty years of development have allowed lattice QCD to become a precision tool for many quantities, but certain major topics remain out of reach.  Could quantum computers finally give us access to these topics?  This colloquium will describe what quantum computers are and why they seem promising for the strong force.  Recent efforts to develop quantum computing methods for the physics of quarks and gluons will be presented.