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Physicist Issues Stern Warning on ‘Catastrophic’ Effects of Science Funding Cuts in the UK

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CERN's Large Hadron Collider impacted by funding cuts

Impact of UK Spending Cuts on CERN’s Large Hadron Collider

Traczyk, Piotr/CERN 2021-2024

British scientists are raising alarms over the potential “catastrophic” effects of impending budget cuts on physics research. With public funding agencies facing an average 30% reduction, groups are preparing for possible cuts of up to 60%.

Many research teams may lose their funding entirely, leading to a decline in research jobs and a potential withdrawal from significant international projects, including CERN, the prestigious particle physics laboratory located near Geneva, Switzerland.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the public body responsible for funding science and business, has delineated a £38.6 billion budget over the next four years. Although UKRI claims this figure does not account for inflation, it suggests a marginal increase. However, physics researchers predict substantial cuts are imminent.

UKRI’s budgetary plans aim to bolster scientific research while benefiting the national economy. As CEO Ian Chapman asserted in a February 5 press briefing, the organization must prioritize commercialization and make hard choices for the greatest national impact.

UKRI allocates grants through nine councils, including the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) which specializes in particle physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy, covering financial commitments to CERN and the European Space Agency. STFC is anticipated to bear the majority of the cuts, with reports indicating a staggering £162 million reduction.

Grant recipients of STFC have been advised to brace for an overall funding reduction of 30%. Additionally, they have been asked to devise budget alternatives anticipating 20%, 40%, and 60% cuts. The Institute of Physics (IOP) deemed this news “a devastating blow” to British physics foundations.

IOP President-elect Paul Howarth warned that these cuts would undermine “our understanding of space and humanity’s progress.” He emphasized that cutting UK funding would diminish the nation’s experimental capacity, stifling innovation and economic growth. “We implore the Government to reconsider its funding strategies,” he stated.

Michelle Doherty, STFC’s executive chairman, acknowledged the organization’s overly ambitious goals. “We are stretching our resources too thinly and are facing tough years ahead,” she remarked. “Our current budget restricts us from achieving all our objectives.”

During her briefing, Doherty highlighted the end of international collaboration in particle physics due to financial constraints, a reality that partners abroad are also grappling with.

John Ellis, a professor at King’s College London, cautioned that job reductions would damage the UK’s standing among international research collaborators. “Such actions tarnish the UK’s reputation as a dependable partner,” he noted.

Projects like the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), instrumental in discovering the Higgs boson, are at risk. Funding was allocated for upgrades during the experimental shutdown. “We face uncertainty about future solutions,” Ellis lamented.

Another LHC initiative, LHCb, which examines the matter-antimatter disparity, may also see its budget eliminated, jeopardizing essential upgrades. Reports suggest the UKRI’s funding for the U.S.-led electron-ion collider in New York is also at risk. UKRI has not clarified the status of these projects when approached for comment by New Scientist.

Ellis warned that significant cuts to physics research could hamper the UK’s future by eliminating opportunities for postdocs and junior researchers. “This isn’t a minor setback; it risks stifling a generation of young scientists,” he argued.

Jim Al Khalili, a professor at the University of Surrey, echoed these concerns, pointing out the potential decline in skill and knowledge necessary for the country’s nuclear industry and wider research initiatives. “These proposed budget reductions would devastate our communities,” he asserted.

Alicia Grated of the Science and Engineering Campaign, representing UK research institutions, noted that miscommunication regarding the cuts has resulted in confusion and uncertainty. “Clarity is crucial, regardless of the reasons behind the decision to rescind STFC funding,” she emphasized. “Any decrease in support for STFC’s resources could threaten a fundamental segment of our research ecosystem.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

2025 Controversial Scientific Cooking Tips from a Renowned Physicist

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Cacio e pepe pasta sauce

Mastering the Cacio e Pepe Sauce

Brent Hofacker/Alamy

A groundbreaking recipe for the classic Cacio e Pepe pasta dish and perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs has stirred discussions in the culinary world throughout 2025, evoking both excitement and dissent.

In January, Ivan di Terlizzi and researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Complex Systems Physics in Germany unveiled their findings on achieving the ideal silky texture of Cacio e Pepe pasta sauce. This traditional dish, composed of black pepper, pecorino cheese, and water, is notoriously challenging to perfect without unwanted lumps. According to the researchers, the key lies in the addition of a small amount of cornstarch.

The research involved meticulous testing of hundreds of sauce variations to determine the ideal ratios of cheese, starch, and water, resulting in insightful graphs and diagrams that indicate the threshold for achieving a lump-free sauce. Despite the scientific backing, their findings sparked controversy, particularly in Italy.

“Being an Italian recipe, we encountered some skepticism on social media, with remarks suggesting we’ve mastered this dish over generations. Cooking should be driven by passion, not just science,” Di Terlizzi noted.

Conversely, responses from the scientific community were predominantly positive, with fellow researchers approaching him at physics conferences to discuss his work. In September, Di Terlizzi and his colleagues were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize, a whimsical recognition of research that stimulates both laughter and contemplation. “It’s about finding patterns in what appears chaotic, provided you examine it through the lens of rigor and mathematics,” he explained.

In February, Ernesto Di Maio and his team at the University of Naples introduced a revolutionary method for boiling eggs perfectly. This intricate technique involves transferring the eggs between pots of 30°C water and boiling water every two minutes for at least 30 minutes to ensure even cooking of the whites and yolks, which solidify at different temperatures.

This egg-cooking method gained significant traction online, though some users criticized the lengthy process for a traditionally quick dish. The media attention also led to unexpected platforms, such as a live cooking show on Japan’s public broadcaster and a segment on the Italian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Di Maio remarked, “I recently returned from Washington, D.C., where I prepared countless eggs for a gathering at an ambassador’s residence.”

Di Maio further mentioned that the scientific principles applied in perfecting the egg-boiling technique are being adapted for more practical applications, such as curing materials at varying temperatures to create layered plastics, akin to the egg white and yolk layers.

The Science of Wine and Cheese in France

Join us for a captivating journey into France’s culinary heritage, exploring the intricate relationship between wine and cheese through the lens of science, tradition, and terroir.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

When a physicist requires a disposable phone, it signifies a shifting America – John Norton

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aT International Science Council has observed some intriguing trends recently. Certain American participants are opting to travel with a “Burner” phone or a minimalist laptop solely running a browser, reminiscent of security-conscious individuals from 15 years ago when traveling to China.

These scholars are keeping a close eye on the American political climate, particularly concerned about potential repercussions upon their return. They have been reading Robert Reich’s subsack, highlighting instances where scientists faced obstacles entering the US due to political opinions expressed in private messages.

Cases like Dr. Rasha Alawieh’s deportation despite having a valid visa and court order, and attempts to deport Columbia University alumni Mahmoud Khalil following a pro-Palestinian demonstration, are causing alarm among the academic community.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Gaza demonstrations and demands for the return of research funds from universities suggest a troubling trend of targeting academic institutions. This hostility towards universities, particularly elite ones, stems from a disdain for their wealth and independence.

The growing concerns among US researchers about potential crackdowns on certain fields of research, driven by political ideologies, resemble dark periods of history. Europe’s response, offering refuge to American researchers at universities like AIX-Marseille in France and VUB in Belgium, presents a glimmer of hope amid uncertainty.

As the academic landscape faces shifting political tides, the question arises: what proactive measures are UK institutions taking to navigate these challenges? The future remains uncertain as academia grapples with evolving geopolitical dynamics.

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Source: www.theguardian.com

Physicist working on project to construct a telescope larger than Earth

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We live in the age of black hole photography. In 2019, the first photograph of a black hole was published. Naturally, it was difficult to capture. In fact, it required a telescope almost as large as the Earth. But for researchers like Alex Lupsaski of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, that wasn't enough. Lupsaski and his colleagues aim to capture a more detailed image, but to achieve that, they will need an even larger telescope.

The 2019 groundbreaking photo was taken by a network of radio observatories dotted around Earth, collectively known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Eight observatories worked together to produce an image as sharp as a single dish larger than anything we could actually build. Lupsaski is part of a team planning the launch of the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) telescope, which will extend this network 20,000 kilometers from Earth into space, effectively creating a receiver larger than Earth. This, he says, will give researchers the precision they need to measure a mysterious part of a black hole called the photon ring. In this case, the photon ring is produced by the supermassive black hole M87* in a nearby galaxy that appeared in the first photo.

LupsaskaAs deputy project scientist for the BHEX mission, he's a theorist specializing in the physics of extreme environments like the heart of a black hole. He tells us why this is our best hope of beating Albert Einstein's theory of gravity, and why an ambitious space mission is the key to finally unlocking that theory.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Nuclear Physicist Investigates Tantalum Decay in 180m Isotope

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Tantalum-180m (180mTa) is a rare isotope of tantalum whose decay has never been observed, and whose lifetime is expected to be about a million times longer than the age of the universe.

Modified Majorana module in assembly glovebox with germanium detector crystal and tantalum sample installed. Image credit: Majorana Collaboration.

Tantalum, a chemical element with symbol Ta and atomic number 73, is a rare, hard, blue-gray, shiny transition metal with excellent corrosion resistance.

It has multiple stable isotopes: 2 stable radioisotopes and 35 artificial radioisotopes.

Tantalum-180, the least abundant isotope, occurs naturally in a long-lived excited state.

In an excited state, the protons or neutrons in the nucleus have a higher energy level than normal.

Although energetically possible, radioactive decay of this excited state in tantalum-180m has never been observed before.

Nuclear physicists from the Majorana collaboration are currently conducting experiments aimed at measuring this decay, which is expected to have a lifetime about a million times longer than the age of the universe.

For the experiment, they Majorana Demonstrator At Sanford Underground Research Facility.

Additionally, a significantly larger amount of tantalum samples were introduced compared to tantalum samples previously used in similar studies.

Over the course of a year, they collected data using a series of high-purity germanium detectors with exceptional energy resolution.

They also developed analytical methods specifically tailored to detect multiple expected decay signatures.

As a result of these combined efforts, we were able to establish unprecedented limits that fall within the range of 10.18 up to 1019 Year.

This level of sensitivity represents the first example in which half-life values ​​predicted from nuclear theory have become achievable.

Although the collapse process has not yet been observed, these advances have significantly enhanced existing limits by one to two orders of magnitude.

Additionally, this advance allowed the Majorana team to ignore certain parameter ranges associated with various potential dark matter particles.

“With a new limit of up to 1.5*1019 “This is the most sensitive search for a single β and electron capture decay achieved to date,” the authors said.

“Across all channels, you can exclude attenuation with T1/2<0.29*10.”18For years. ”

of result appear in the diary physical review letter.

_____

IJ Arnquist other. (Majorana collaboration).Constraints on collapse 180mTa. Physics.pastor rhett 131 (15): 152501; doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.152501

Source: www.sci.news

Top 10 Multi-World Movies Chosen by a Physicist, Featuring ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Spider-Man’

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'Groundbreaking': Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix

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I Professor of Physics at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia He is also the author of 18 popular science books. Although my training was in theoretical physics, particularly the discovery and interpretation of unusual solutions to Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, I remained a lifelong admirer of his science fiction and fascinated by the phenomena of physics in culture. I'm here. In my latest book, The charm of the multiverse, I apply my experience and interests to the study of scientific debates and popular beliefs surrounding the concepts of parallel worlds and separate parts of reality. Here's a chronological list of my 10 favorite movies on the subject. Each one has been chosen to be thought-provoking and interesting.

It's a wonderful life (1946)

Beyond the key aspects of this issue Christmas classic There are lies worth chewing through, including the question of what the world would be like if we didn't exist. In theoretical physics, the hypothetical anthropic principle cuts off from all reality the realm of possibility that ultimately leads to the conscious observer. Sadly, unlike the film's protagonist George Bailey, we don't have guardian angels to tell us what the universe would be like without humanity. But maybe, in George's spirit, we recognize the fact that we exist as sentient beings on a fragile planet and take that responsibility seriously.

back to the future (1985)

Children dream of changing their parents. Thanks to the mysterious powers of the time-traveling DeLorean, Marty McFly inadvertently does just that. In physics, the feasibility of backward time travel is debatable. Could it be that the paradoxes caused by voyages into the past, such as acts that prevent the creation of time travelers, make them impossible? Marty's Voyage to 1955 He almost prevents his parents from falling in love until he finds a way to convince them. He returns to his 1985 present and finds himself in a parallel reality. His parents are much cooler there. Such a multiverse avoids paradox and gives hope to teenagers.

marmot day (1993)

In quantum physics, reality is a mixture of different particle histories. It's as if the inhabitants of a subatomic world need to try every possibility to make things right. Eastern philosophy similarly emphasizes that reincarnation ultimately leads to perfection. Similarly, funny movies, weatherman Phil Connors seems doomed to repeat the same terrible day over and over again until he sheds his self-centered attitude and becomes more sensitive to others. Along the way, he not only found love, but experienced enough time to master French, ice sculpting, and piano. Thanks to a kind of repeating multiverse, he contains a large number of things.

“Contains a large number of people”: Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

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12 Monkees (1995)

Partly inspired by great things, La Jetée, 12 Monkees It offers plotlines like twisted knots of wire. But does it constitute a single coherent chain, or does it contain loose parts?The protagonist, James Cole, travels back in time from his imaginary 21st century to his 1990s. and tries to gather clues about the origins of a devastatingly deadly pandemic. Although his superiors stress that the past cannot be changed, he sometimes appears to be influencing reality, but only in the face of reality's resilience. His hopes that he can prevent the catastrophe eventually fade, but there are hints of an alternative even in the final scene.

“A surprising juxtaposition of fate”: Gwyneth Paltrow's “Sliding Doors”

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sliding door (1998)

Have you ever missed a train by just a few seconds and cursed the time you lost? But if that delay resulted in an accident being avoided, it would seem more like a blessing. Brilliantly, through the magic of cinema, we see both parts of the many worlds in which the main character, Helen, misses and misses the subway. In the former case, the girlfriend was unable to witness her boyfriend cheating on her and continues to pretend that she didn't know. In the latter, she witnessed the incident and immediately met Mr. Right. However, both elements have something in common that ultimately points the way to a surprising juxtaposition of fate.

Run, Laura, run (1998)

If two versions of reality aren't enough, try three.in This seminal German film, fate gave Laura three chances to save her boyfriend, who had lost a huge amount of cash and needed it to carry out the mission of a crime boss. Each time, she somehow obtains her booty and takes 20 minutes to run across the city with it to her frenetic lover. Reflecting the butterfly effect of chaos theory, small discrepancies can lead to vastly different results. Her first two attempts prove fatal, but the third is the charm. This film shows that our passion for the multiverse reflects our desire for multiple opportunities in life.

matrix (1999)

Movies allow us to imagine entirely new worlds. Artificial intelligence strengthens that illusion. Imagine if an incredibly powerful and malicious electronic entity exploited our ability to be fooled and created a false world for us to experience life. All the while, it sucked energy from our bodies for its own evil purposes.of The film's groundbreaking sci-fi plot And special effects remain relevant to today's debates about AI capabilities and threats. Some thinkers speculate that the observable universe is a simulation. If that were the case, screenwriters elsewhere in the multiverse would win Academy Awards for the most original screenplays.

“The Haunting”: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Donnie Darko

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donnie darko (2001)

One of the most profound mysteries in theoretical physics is the concept of wormholes. A wormhole is a hypothetical connection between disparate sectors of the universe. Theorists have derived a wormhole solution to Einstein's general theory of relativity and demonstrated how it could potentially be used as a time machine. In reality, no one knows how to assemble the extraordinary amount of mass needed to create such an object, including a special negative mass component called “exotic matter.” Nevertheless, they serve as effective plot devices. this unforgettable movie The story of a troubled teenager who

Source: www.newscientist.com