The CNRS, Institut d’Optique Graduate School and the scaleup Pasqal inaugurated the AtomIQ-Lab associated research laboratory on 26 November 2025. This collaboration between academic research and business aims to push back the technical limits of laser-cooled atom manipulation. The goal is to considerably increase the performance of quantum processors based on this technology, which are marketed by Pasqal, as well as to extend the range of accessible phenomena in the fundamental physics experiments conducted by the team from the Charles Fabry Laboratory (CNRS/Institut d’Optique).

As cold weather sets in, viruses such as influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 are resurfacing. Quickly identifying symptomatic individuals is an essential part of any strategy to fight their spread. Yet, traditional thermal cameras, which measure facial temperature on the forehead or cheeks, are easily skewed by airflow, sweat, or face coverings—leading to unreliable readings.

To address this, a team at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) led by Professor Jinyang Liang, an expert in computational imaging, has developed SPIRIT (Single-pixel infrared imaging thermometry), a technology that could change how we screen for fever in public spaces.

A new Swansea University study shows that AI can enhance, not replace, human creativity, with participants producing better, more imaginative designs and feeling more engaged when supported by diverse AI-generated suggestions. The research argues that evaluating AI tools should go beyond efficiency metrics to consider how they influence users’ emotions, thinking and exploration.

Japan faces the challenge of aging infrastructure, especially bridges, amidst lack of integration between field expertise and digital data. Providing a novel solution, a researcher from Hosei University, Japan, has proposed an integrated data model that merges two international standards—IFC and CityGML—to significantly streamline and advance maintenance workflows, including inspection, diagnosis, and repair planning, for aging infrastructure. This next-generation technology can lead to a society where future generations can live more securely.

RMIT researchers are advancing new ways to cut the carbon footprint of infrastructure by turning everyday organic waste into useful construction materials.

A life-cycle analysis has shown, for the first time, that biochar made from spent coffee grounds can help produce a lower‑carbon concrete while supporting strength benefits seen in earlier lab trials.