Latest news with #UniversitéLaval
Ottawa Citizen
24-06-2025
- Science
- Ottawa Citizen
Raymond Laflamme, Canadian pioneer in quantum computing, has died
Article content Raymond Laflamme, a Canadian pioneer in the field of quantum information processing who once worked with Stephen Hawking, has died after a lengthy bout with cancer. Article content The University of Waterloo announced his death in a press release this week. He died June 19 on what would have been his 65th birthday. Article content Article content Born in Québec City, the third of five siblings, Laflamme studied physics as an undergraduate at the Université Laval before moving to England to continue his education there. Article content Article content At Cambridge University, he earned his PhD under the supervision of Stephen Hawking, at one point convincing the eminent scientist (over the course of six months' spirited discussion) that Hawking was wrong in his belief that time would run backwards during the contraction of the universe. Article content Article content Hawking gave credit to Laflamme for this contribution in his best-selling book A Brief History of Time. When Laflamme left Cambridge a few years later, Hawking personalized his copy of the book with a note reading: 'To Raymond, who showed me that the arrow of time is not a boomerang. Thank you for all your help. Stephen.' Article content Article content Article content After Cambridge, Laflamme worked for a number of years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where his interests shifted from cosmology to quantum computing. Article content Article content In 2001, he returned to Canada and joined the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo and the university's newly created Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. There, he became founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, a position he held for 15 years. Article content 'Through his leadership, IQC became a world-class research hub, positioning Canada at the forefront of the quantum revolution,' the university said in its release. 'In his scientific research, Laflamme pioneered theoretical and experimental approaches to quantum information processing and quantum error correction.' Article content It added: 'Laflamme and colleagues developed an innovative approach to quantum information processing using linear optics, the results of which became one of the most referenced works in quantum computing.'
Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Science
- Calgary Herald
Raymond Laflamme, Canadian pioneer in quantum computing, has died
Raymond Laflamme, a Canadian pioneer in the field of quantum information processing who once worked with Stephen Hawking, has died after a lengthy bout with cancer. Article content The University of Waterloo announced his death in a press release this week. He died June 19 on what would have been his 65th birthday. Article content Article content Born in Québec City, the third of five siblings, Laflamme studied physics as an undergraduate at the Université Laval before moving to England to continue his education there. Article content Article content At Cambridge University, he earned his PhD under the supervision of Stephen Hawking, at one point convincing the eminent scientist (over the course of six months' spirited discussion) that Hawking was wrong in his belief that time would run backwards during the contraction of the universe. Article content Article content Article content Article content After Cambridge, Laflamme worked for a number of years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where his interests shifted from cosmology to quantum computing. Article content Article content In 2001, he returned to Canada and joined the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo and the university's newly created Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. There, he became founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, a position he held for 15 years. Article content 'Through his leadership, IQC became a world-class research hub, positioning Canada at the forefront of the quantum revolution,' the university said in its release. 'In his scientific research, Laflamme pioneered theoretical and experimental approaches to quantum information processing and quantum error correction.' Article content It added: 'Laflamme and colleagues developed an innovative approach to quantum information processing using linear optics, the results of which became one of the most referenced works in quantum computing.'
Edmonton Journal
24-06-2025
- Science
- Edmonton Journal
Raymond Laflamme, Canadian pioneer in quantum computing, has died
Article content Raymond Laflamme, a Canadian pioneer in the field of quantum information processing who once worked with Stephen Hawking, has died after a lengthy bout with cancer. The University of Waterloo announced his death in a press release this week. He died June 19 on what would have been his 65th birthday. Born in Québec City, the third of five siblings, Laflamme studied physics as an undergraduate at the Université Laval before moving to England to continue his education there.
Toronto Star
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Amid upheaval abroad, universities urge Ottawa, Quebec to invest in attracting talent
MONTREAL - Four major Quebec universities are proposing initiatives to make the province a landing spot for high-level researchers. A joint statement released today highlights a number of moves, including co-ordinated steps at the national level to attract talent. The four universities — Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke — hope to leverage political and social tensions affecting researchers around the world to lure them to Canadian schools. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The group of universities, going by the name Polaris, say both Quebec and Ottawa have a role to play in making that happen. Vincent Poitout, vice-rector of research and innovation at Université de Montréal, says there is a window to transform a very unfortunate situation in science, particularly in the United States, into an opportunity for Canada. The universities note a recent survey published in Nature, a journal, that 75 per cent of researchers in the United States are considering leaving the country. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Amid upheaval abroad, universities urge Ottawa, Quebec to invest in attracting talent
MONTREAL - Four major Quebec universities are proposing initiatives to make the province a landing spot for high-level researchers. A joint statement released today highlights a number of moves, including co-ordinated steps at the national level to attract talent. The four universities — Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke — hope to leverage political and social tensions affecting researchers around the world to lure them to Canadian schools. The group of universities, going by the name Polaris, say both Quebec and Ottawa have a role to play in making that happen. Vincent Poitout, vice-rector of research and innovation at Université de Montréal, says there is a window to transform a very unfortunate situation in science, particularly in the United States, into an opportunity for Canada. The universities note a recent survey published in Nature, a journal, that 75 per cent of researchers in the United States are considering leaving the country. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
