British Science Festival in Southampton

Five days of science workshops, talks, performances and hands-on activities took place as the University hosted the British Science Festival for the first time since 1992. Read more.

• The festival was covered by BBC South Today, BBC Radio Solent, Voice FM, the Daily Echo, Isle of Wight County Press,  Hampshire Chronicle and Business South.
• The Financial Times ran a front page about Professor Mark Chapman‘s research that was demonstrated at the festival. Our press release about Dame Wendy Hall‘s talk with BBC tech editor Zoe Kleinman ran in the Daily Echo.

‘Social jet lag’ could contribute to teenage anxiety

Early school starts and weekend lie ins could be contributing to anxiety in teenagers, a new study involving Dr Sarah Chellappa, Dr Alessio Bellato and Professor Matthew Garner has found. Read  more.

• The story was covered by The Independent, the Daily Mail, The Standard, The Sun, The I, Daily Express, Daily Star, The Scotsman, This Is Money, Euronews, Good Morning Britain (ITV), STV, BBC Radio Scotland, LBC, Virgin Radio, Heart FM and Greatest Hits Radio.

Proof that puzzles can reverse cognitive impairment

Scientists have proven for the first time that simple activities and small lifestyle changes can reverse cognitive impairment. Read more.

• Our story featured in the Daily Telegraph, the Mirror, the Sun, i Paper, Daily Express, Daily Record and Daily Echo. It ran on regional BBC radio stations UK-wide, as well as Greatest Hits Radio, Magic Classical, LBC, and ran in the Conversation.

Academics speak on AI regulation

• Dame Wendy Hall took part in numerous media appearances following a hack by Open AI agents and warnings from an Anthropic researcher. She appeared on Newsnight, theBBC World at One and BBC World Service, LBC Radio and Sky News, and her comments were carried in Daily Star and The Sun.
• She later told The Guardian that artificial intelligence companies need independent checks and clear rules.

• Professor Gopal Ramchurn was interviewed on BBC News about Open AI agents hacking Australia’s Medicare data. He was also included in a Times article after co-signing a letter with leading computer scientists urging the UK government to take steps to make it clear who bears responsibility for the actions of an AI agent.
• Dr Thomas Dekeyser spoke to National Public Radio in the USA about the dangers of AI and told French newspaper El Pais that there is something new about how diverse resistance to AI is.
• Dr Samuel Kimpton-Nye commented in The Independent about the potential consciousness of AI.
• Dr Tina Seabrooke and Mansi Pattni’s research to help people detect AI faces was covered by ITV Meridian. Read our press release.
• Professor Timothy Norman told Newsweek that large language models excel at “finding vulnerabilities in software systems” and that AI companies need to pay more attention to control.

Recent protests and political reaction

• Professor Will Jennings spoke to BBC Radio 5Live about how polling companies are regulated following revelations in a Channel 4 News documentary.
• Professor John Denham was interviewed by BBC Radio 4’s PM programme about far-right protests in Portsmouth and Dover. He also wrote a piece for the Local Government Chronicle with Visiting Fellow Mike Harris about the unitary councils and strategic authorities.
• Professor Ingi Iusmen was also interviewed by BBC Radio Solent about small boat crossings.
• Dr Joan Mahoney told the BBC she thought Trump’s offer to pay $5K to every American adult would be legal, though she said politicians don’t usually do it quite so explicitly.
• Professor Jason Reifler told the i Paper that President Trump’s low personal approval ratings appear to be falling.

Sea creatures and oil spills in Strait of Hormuz

• Dr Cathy Lucas told the BBC that giant jellyfish occasionally swim close to the Welsh coast in the summer or autumn after a 40ft creature was spotted by a diver. The story was also covered by The Sun and CNN Indonesia.
• Professor Nils Anderston spoke to BBC Radio Solent about how the Earth is spinning faster and what that means for how we measure time.
• Professor Ian Williams warned The Times of India that global warming “pushed” the heatwave in Europe this summer, adding that “we cannot stick our head in the sand on climate.” He also wrote an article in Circular about discarded fridges piling up across Britain due to poor recycling infrastructure.
• MSc student Kira Dunn and Dr Ken Collins’ research using eco-moorings to help restore seahorse habitats was covered by The Guardian, The Times of India, BBC South, ITV Meridian and Dorset Echo. Dr Collins also spoke to the BBC about how changing weather is putting Seahorse habitats in Dorset at risk.
• Professor Matt Loxham and Dr Nat Easton’s studyon pollution from cruise ships was covered by the The Guardian, following earlier coverage in the Independent and the BBC. Read our press release.
• Dr Keyvan Hosseini was interviewed live on BBC News about environmental impact of a major oil spill affecting the Strait of Hormuz.

Earth’s ancient history

• Professor Tom Gernon’s study into a huge cliff that stretched thousands of miles across ancient North America was covered by The Times of India.
• Dr Rachel Pistol was interviewed by the BBC and NPR about resistance to Nazi occupation.
• Dr Helen Paul advised on and appeared in prime time BBC 2 documentary Finding Britain’s Slave Traders,speaking about the financing of the trade.
• Dr Neil Gostling was quoted in The Times about the discovery of a Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton in Spain.
• PhD student Sam Ongaro’s study showing how sea level rise reshaped the prehistoric Northern Adriatic coast was covered by the Daily Echo, Eco Magazine, Austrian daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung, broadcaster ORF, and Italian magazine InTrieste. Read our press release.

Human health and being friends with your child

• Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper’s research finding colouring on screens helped boost mental wellbeing was covered by BBC Newsround, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Star, Daily Echo, LBC and Heart FM. Read our press release.
• Professor Keith Godfrey was quoted in a BBC InDepth article about childhood obesity.
• Dr Jay Amin spoke to the Telegraph about simple habits that could help lower the risk of cognitive decline and “dementia-proof” our brains.
• Dr Kinda Ibrahim spoke to the Sunday Times about plans to develop a simple blood test which could tell GPs which medicines are the safest and more effective for elderly patients taking multiple prescriptions. A separate Times article also used our Primary Care expert’s policy brief revealing that overprescribing drugs costs the NHS around £2.21billion a year.
• Professor Elaine Dennison was interviewed by the influential Zoe health podcast about maintaining bone health.
• Professor Davide Fillingeri spoke to BBC Berkshire about the issue of overheating hospitals.
• Dr Victoria Goss’s research using urine tests to screen for lung cancer was covered by the BBC.
• Dr Aravinthan Varatharaj spoke to the Daily Mail about how MS can affect people’s vision.
• Dr Claire Hart spoke to The Independent about whether you should be ‘friends’ with your child. She also spoke to the The Independent about the relationship between genes and narcissism.
• Dr Verena Klein was quoted in an article for The Times about how women carry more of the mental load of looking after the household.
• Dr Alasdair Munro cast doubt on claims a shingles jab could help prevent dementia in the Daily Mail and the Times.
• Professor Mark Chapman and University chef Lewis Huggins featured in an i Paper story about superfoods of the future.

In other news

• Dr Athina Vlachantoni told The Independent that it is natural to end up looking after your parents and can result in feelings of reciprocity and altruism.
• Dr Adam McMaster’s plea to amateur astronomers to find black holes was run by the Daily Echo, Greatest Hits Radio and IFLScience. Read our press release.
• Professor Brienna Perelli-Harris told The Guardian that 90 per cent of people live together before marriage in an article on why marriages ending in divorce now last longer than ever recorded.
• Professor Tim Underwood’s fundraising cycle ride across the Alps was covered by the Daily Echo. Read our press release.
• Professor Devorah Baum co-reviewed new film Coming of Age forDeadline magazine.
• Professor Chris Armstrong and Professor Jason Reifler’s fellowships to the Academy of Social Sciences were featured by the Daily Echo.
• Dr Gillian Dow spoke to the newsTALK podcast about a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, ahead of its release in cinemas.

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