Measuring extremely small signals, such as tiny forces, magnetic fields, or temperature changes , is at the heart of modern technology, from medical diagnostics to navigation and fundamental physics experiments. Scientists are increasingly turning to quantum systems to push measurement precision beyond classical limits. However, real devices are never perfectly isolated, they are open: they interact with their environment, constantly exchanging energy. Understanding how to exploit this openness rather than fight it has become one of the central challenges in quantum sensing.

The ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb collaborations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have been awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation. The award was presented on 5 April 2025 in Los Angeles and recognises scientific results based on LHC Run-2 data collected up to July 2024. It honours the collective work of thousands of scientists from more than 70 countries, represented at the ceremony by the spokespersons who led the collaborations during this period.

Experts from the Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacký University and the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences are assisting restorers with the ongoing renovation of the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the past several weeks, chemists, physicists, and geoinformatics specialists have conducted a detailed examination of the monument’s gilded sections. The data collected will guide restorers in carrying out a sensitive and scientifically informed restoration of this Baroque landmark.

In September, the installation of mirrors on three large telescopes (Large-Sized Telescope – LST) was completed on the Canary Island of La Palma. These telescopes will become part of the future Cherenkov Telescope Array observatory.