Quantum computers are based on qubits that, unlike classical bits, can not only take the values 0 or 1 but can also be 0 and 1 at the same time. Unfortunately this quantum information is very fragile and thus gets lost easily. A team of scientists led by Tim Taminiau at QuTech in Delft has demonstrated for the first time that errors in quantum computations can be detected and actively corrected, without losing the delicate quantum information. By repeatedly applying quantum error correction using electron and nuclear spins in diamond, the team managed to extend the time that quantum information could be protected. The correction of errors in quantum computations is a crucial step towards a working quantum computer. The scientists have published their work on the 5^th of May in Nature Communications.