That's the question addressed in the latest position paper from The University of 水多多导航's Dalton Nuclear Policy Group, which sets out practical opportunities for duty holders, regulators and government to build on the recommendations of the 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.

The paper, A radical reset: actionable opportunities from the UK nuclear regulatory review 2025, responds to a fundamental review of how the UK's nuclear sector is regulated. The review was launched by the UK government in 2025 as part of its plans to both expand nuclear energy generation and retain an effective nuclear deterrent, leading to the establishment of the Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.

The Task Force went on to publish a series of recommendations, aimed primarily at government but with some also directed towards industry. All of these were accepted in full by the government in early 2026 - however, little detail has been proposed to date on exactly how they might be implemented in practice.

The Dalton paper aims to fill that gap, putting forward a suite of practical opportunities which, if taken up, could deliver the more efficient and effective regulatory environment needed to underpin the UK's nuclear sector, without compromising on safety or security.

In developing the paper, the authors drew on input from within the Dalton Nuclear Institute's academic team - which includes individuals with extensive practical experience of policy, operations and regulation across the nuclear sector - as well as from a range of nuclear duty holders across both the civil and defence communities.

鈥楢 once in a lifetime opportunity.鈥�

Co-author Professor Francis Livens said the Task Force's review represented a rare chance to reshape the sector:
"The Regulatory Task Force has indeed provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink the way the UK 'does' nuclear. We have identified opportunities to speed operations up, improve safety and reduce costs, and would be very happy to support organisations across the sector in taking these."

The authors hope the paper will be a useful input for those across the sector seeking to drive positive change.
The paper is authored by:

• Dr William Bodel
• Professor Adrian Bull MBE, Hon FNucI
• Professor Gregg Butler
• Professor Francis Livens
• Dame Fiona Rayment DBE FREng FRSE.

Read the full paper:

This well-deserved promotion recognises Clara's outstanding contributions to research, education and academic leadership, particularly her work advancing digital approaches to improve occupational safety, health and wellbeing. Through her research, she has brought together expertise from engineering, data science, organisational psychology, regulators and industry to address some of the most pressing challenges facing high-risk sectors.听

Commenting on her promotion, Clara said:听
鈥淚 am deeply grateful for this recognition and for the many colleagues, collaborators, students and mentors who have shaped my journey. The Thomas Ashton Institute has played an important role in enabling interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, regulators and industry. I look forward to continuing this work and advancing human-centred digital innovation that delivers meaningful improvements in workplace safety, health and wellbeing.鈥�

As Digital Safety and Health Lead at the Thomas Ashton Institute, Clara has helped strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration across the University and beyond, supporting research that explores how digital technologies can improve workplace safety, health and wellbeing while ensuring innovation remains centred on people.

Reflecting on her promotion, Clara has often said that "no one becomes a professor alone," recognising the collective support of colleagues, collaborators, mentors, students, friends and family throughout her career.听

Professor Cheung's promotion marks an important milestone for both the University and the Thomas Ashton Institute. We are proud to celebrate this achievement and look forward to continuing to work with Clara as she develops new partnerships, advances interdisciplinary research and helps shape the future of digital safety and health.听

Congratulations, Professor Cheung, on this outstanding achievement.听

• 
  听

Key findings

Bullet point list of the study's key findings

What the researchers say

Put some of the researcher's quotes here, but highlight one or two key sentences in the separate module (accessed on the left of this page)

Relevant subheading

Detail about what the findings mean - changes to previous knowledge, challenge to orthodoxy etc. Make this part human interest if possible - try to ground the study in real world implications so ordinary readers will be interested. Insert another quote in this section if needed/provided - particularly if the academic provides a call to action.

Publication details

The study was published in xxx journal.

DOI: http://xxx.

Representatives from the Institute, and exhibited throughout the day, engaging with delegates from academia, policy and practice. The event provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the Institute's work in risk and regulatory research, occupational health and safety, and interdisciplinary approaches to addressing complex societal challenges.

As well as sharing information about the Institute's activities, the team met with researchers and practitioners from a wide range of organisations, exploring opportunities for future collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The Festival's 2026 programme focused on a number of important themes, including Global Public Health, Commercial Determinants of Health, Research Inclusion, AI and Public Health, and Women's Health.

We would like to thank the organisers and everyone who visited our stand during the event. We look forward to building on the connections made and continuing to support evidence-informed approaches to improving health, safety and wellbeing.

It was fantastic to host scientists from all over the country, from the Universities of 水多多导航, Oxford, Birmingham, Keele, Leeds, Loughborough, 水多多导航 Metropolitan, Southampton, Sussex, UCL and Imperial, from Belgium, France and Sweden, as well as many of our Harwell colleagues and collaborators from Diamond Light Source, STFC, UKHSA and the Rosalind Franklin Institute.

Speakers

Huge thanks to our excellent speakers who presented a variety of complementary imaging techniques.

• , The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
• and , Detector Development Group, Science & Technology Facilities Council
• , University of Birmingham
• , University of Ghent
• , MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
• , 水多多导航 Metropolitan University
• , Laboratois Mat茅IS
• , University of Southampton.

Workshop topics of conversation

Imaging techniques discussed were ultra-fast synchrotron radiography and tomography imaging, micro-CT combined with SWAXS, 3D X-ray Histology, ultra-high resolution tomography, diceCT, tomography imaging of porous media and molten flows, advances in X-ray imaging detectors that were applied in various applications (battery safety studies, laser welding of metals, fuel injectors, shockwave imaging, crystal growth in molten flows, pore-scale imaging of multiphase fluid flow, bone hierarchical structure, tumour margin determination, foetal post-mortem autopsy, laser-based additive manufacturing, muscle whiskers in pinniped species, elemental chemistry in alloys and uranium quantification).

The workshop maintained high engagement all day with fascinating 3D visualisation such as the complex bone canalicular network and impressive 4D animations such as battery failure and hydrogen-brine dynamics. The bottlenecks of analysing such large datasets with different modalities and the importance of taking this into consideration when designing an experiment, was also addressed.

The ability to measure intricate fluid dynamics in porous media using 4D velocimetry was a key advancement. These empirical datasets can significantly improve the accuracy of CFD models and can be extended to study mechanical processes in other domains, such as bone mechanobiology and tissue engineering (bioreactors, scaffolds).

The use of AI and deep-learning techniques to boost data interpretation and identify novel biomarkers in clinical applications look very promising, and it was important to highlight some of the limits such as model hallucination. Because imaging techniques and data analytics are advancing so rapidly, dedicated training programs are increasingly essential to prepare the next generation of scientists.

Posters and poster prizes

• First prize awarded to , University of Oxford, 鈥楾owards Hydrogen Imaging and Mapping in Embrittlement-Susceptible Steels via XAS and Machine Learning鈥�.
• Second prize awarded to , University of Oxford, 鈥業nvestigating interdendritic flow during aluminium alloys solidification using Artificial Intelligence and synchrotron X-ray imaging鈥�.
• Third prize awarded to , University of Birmingham, 鈥楢dditive Manufacturing and Advance Materials Testing of 316L & Tungstan LPBF Lattices for Fusion Application.

Thank you to everyone who presented a poster and congratulations to our three winners!

Thank you鈥�

We would like to say a huge thank you to all our speakers, chairs, sponsors and delegates who helped make the conference a success.

Published in , the study led by researchers from The University of 水多多导航, the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis and the University of M眉nster describe a family of tellurium-based catalysts that use chalcogen bonding to control reaction outcomes through non-covalent interactions.

Chalcogen bonding, which arises from electron-deficient regions known as 蟽-holes, has attracted growing attention as a tool for catalysis. However, translating these comparatively weak interactions into effective asymmetric catalysis has proved difficult, particularly when using neutral catalyst systems. Most successful examples reported to date have relied on charged catalysts to strengthen substrate binding.

To address this limitation, the researchers used computational modelling to design a series of chiral tellurium-triazole catalysts capable of forming a confined binding environment around reacting molecules. They identified a catalyst incorporating a 1,3-diaminocyclohexane backbone that could adopt a bidentate binding arrangement, allowing two tellurium centres to interact cooperatively with a substrate.

When tested experimentally, the catalyst was able to induce asymmetry in benchmark Reissert-type reactions of quinolines and isoquinolines. The best-performing examples reached enantiomeric ratios of up to 89:11, providing evidence that neutral chalcogen-bond donors can transfer chiral information during catalysis.

Dr Olga Garc铆a Manche帽o, corresponding author and Professor of Catalysis in Organic Chemistry at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, who led the experimental catalysis work, adds: "Chalcogen bonding has enormous potential as a tool for catalysis, but translating these relatively weak interactions into reliable asymmetric control has proved challenging. This was only possible by bringing together computational design, synthesis and experimental catalysis. The study shows that carefully designed neutral chalcogen-bond donors can overcome an important limitation in the field and opens the door to more selective systems in the future."

The team combined computational design, synthesis and mechanistic studies to understand why some catalyst architectures performed better than others. Spectroscopic and computational analyses showed that the most effective catalyst forms two cooperative chalcogen-bond interactions with a bound chloride ion, supported by additional hydrogen-bonding contacts that help stabilise the catalytic complex.

Alternative catalyst designs either failed to bind effectively or produced little or no enantioselectivity, highlighting the importance of catalyst geometry in controlling stereochemical outcomes.

"The computational analysis allowed us to understand why certain catalyst structures were successful while others were not", says James O'Brien, who carried out the computational studies at The University of 水多多导航. "It revealed how subtle changes in catalyst geometry influence binding and selectivity, helping us identify the features needed for effective chalcogen-bonding catalysis."

Lary Massold, who conducted the experimental studies says: 鈥淔rom the two most promising synthesised chalcogen donors, the catalyst with a weaker binding but more directive bidentate interactions with the substrate showed higher selectivity and stereocontrol. With this study we proved that fine-tuning of weak interactions plays a crucial role in this area of supramolecular catalysis.鈥�

Although the levels of stereocontrol remain below those routinely achieved with more established classes of asymmetric catalyst, the work provides a proof of principle for neutral chalcogen-bonding catalysis and offers a framework for designing more selective systems.

The authors say the design principles identified in the study could help guide future efforts to harness weak non-covalent interactions for increasingly complex catalytic transformations.

The Ferranti Mark I, the world's first commercially available general-purpose computer, came with 4,000 valves, 100,000 soldered joints and six miles of wires. The 27 kilowatts of power it needed to operate is the equivalent of running roughly 600 mid-range laptops today, yet at the time, it must have felt miraculous.

Seventy-five years on, and 水多多导航 is still working at the frontier of computing. The machinery might be different 鈥� something far smaller than 2.5-metre-tall towers 鈥� but the research teams are asking the same question: can you turn a theory into a device that changes the world?

The answer in 2026, involves silicon, single atoms and the strange laws of quantum physics.

What is a quantum computer?

All previous computers, from the Ferranti Mark I to the laptop on your desk, have processed information as bits 鈥� ones and zeros. But now, quantum computing is changing the game, they use qubits instead. Qubits, can exist as both a 1 and a 0 at the same time; multiplied across many qubits working together, quantum machines can explore numerous solutions at once, rather than working through them one by one.

The implications of this are potentially huge. Problems that would take today鈥檚 most powerful supercomputers centuries to solve 鈥� from modelling new medicines to testing the security of future communication systems 鈥� could one day be tackled in hours, or even minutes.

What鈥檚 getting in the way?

The main barrier to progress is that qubits are incredibly fragile. Even tiny changes in their environment, like a shift in temperature or a disturbance in their surroundings, can introduce errors. Building a quantum computer that works reliably at scale means solving this problem.

Silicon, the material which underpins every modern computer chip, offers a potential route forward, because scientists already know how to produce very precise silicon devices. However, natural silicon contains an isotope, silicon-29, which causes a 鈥榥uclear flip flopping鈥� effect that makes qubits lose their data.

For a long time, no practical solution to this has existed.

水多多导航's answer

In 2024, researchers from 水多多导航 announced they had found one. By developing a way of engineering silicon to remove silicon-29, they produced the world's purest form of the material. This purified silicon can provide a stable platform for high-performance qubit devices and creates the opportunity for making quantum computers at scale. Scientists think it opens a path towards devices containing one million qubits, potentially fabricated to the size of a pinhead.

With this material achieved, the team turned to scaling up the purification process and using samples to develop prototype quantum devices.

Then, in March 2026, 水多多导航 and IBM researchers used a quantum computer to verify the properties of a molecule that had never previously existed. It was a concrete demonstration of the technology鈥檚 potential.

What this means for the future

The UK鈥檚 recent National Quantum Strategy earmarked an investment of 拢2.5 billion for creating a thriving quantum sector, with many projecting that quantum technologies will create a global market worth tens of billions within the next decade.

水多多导航's sits at the heart of that ambition, training a new generation of scientists and engineers while building the industry partnerships needed to move discoveries out of the lab and into the real world.

The ability to process complex challenges at a scale no classical computer can match, could soon transform sectors as diverse as energy, manufacturing, data security, drug discovery and vaccine design.

Seventy-five years ago, the Ferranti Mark I proved that extraordinary ideas could be made real. Today鈥檚 researchers might be working at a different scale 鈥� swapping whole rooms for single atoms 鈥� but their achievements could be just as revolutionary.

However, the advantage depends on the emotional context, and a key ingredient for effective support 鈥� offering specific, actionable guidance 鈥� can boost the quality of support from both humans and AI alike.

鈥� published in the journal 鈥� compared messages of emotional support generated by large language models (LLMs) and humans in everyday, non-clinical contexts.

The research comprised five studies involving a total of 1,233 participants. Across the studies, the team compared emotional support messages generated by three leading LLMs 鈥� ChatGPT 4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro 鈥� with messages written by human participants responding to everyday emotionally charged scenarios, such as being passed over for a promotion or coming home to find their shared house untidy.

Participants were not told if the messages they received came from a human or an AI. Although many were able to correctly identify the source, those in studies where LLM messages were rated as more supportive did not show reduced benefit 鈥� suggesting that awareness of an AI source does not necessarily undermine its effectiveness.

Key findings:

• LLM-generated responses largely mirrored strategies used by humans to manage others鈥� emotions, particularly for ChatGPT, which showed the highest similarity with human patterns.

• In situations involving anger and fear, LLM responses were seen as more emotionally supportive than those written by people. In addition, LLM messages helped people feel more positive (such as feeling calm or happy). For sadness situations, LLM and human responses worked equally well.

• Simply acknowledging someone鈥檚 feelings (e.g., 鈥淚 totally understand why you feel sad鈥�) did not fully explain why LLM responses were sometimes more effective. Adding or removing this emotional validation did not make a difference to how helpful the messages were.

• What mattered most was 鈥淎ctionable support鈥� 鈥� clear practical suggestions that people could use (such as breathing techniques, step-by-step reframing, or practical next steps). These specific suggestions improved emotional outcomes regardless of whether the message came from a human or an AI.

Co-author , Lecturer in Psychology at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest that what makes emotional support effective is less about who provides it, and more about how it is delivered. Providing people with specific, actionable steps, rather than general reassurance, is a key ingredient for effective support, whether that comes from a person or a chatbot.

She added: 鈥淲hile a human might typically suggest going for a walk or making a cup of tea, an AI chatbot tends to go further, for example acknowledging the person鈥檚 feelings and offering step-by-step strategies such as breathing techniques or specific ways to reframe a thought. Training human supporters 鈥� whether professionals or members of the public 鈥� to provide this kind of structured, actionable guidance could meaningfully improve the quality of everyday emotional support.鈥�

Co-author , a PhD researcher at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淲e found that AI can emulate the supportive strategies that humans use, and at times even outperform human supporters in improving a person鈥檚 emotional state 鈥� though this is not universal. The effect depends on the type of emotion and what outcome you are looking at.鈥�

She added: 鈥淲e are not saying that humans should or can be replaced by AI. But our findings do show that when people choose to use AI for emotional support, it can be genuinely helpful, and understanding why it works can help us improve how both humans and AI provide that support.鈥�

The research comes amid growing public interest in AI as an emotional resource. Recent surveys suggest that 66% of 25- to 34-year-olds in the UK have turned to AI chatbots instead of loved ones to discuss emotional problems, and in the US, 20% of young adults aged 18鈥�21 have used ChatGPT to manage their emotions, with 92.7% of those users finding the advice helpful.

Dr Sarah Walker, co-author of the study from Durham University's School of Education, said: "What's key here is that we're not suggesting AI should replace human support. But when people do turn to it, it can help, and understanding why tells us something useful. Concrete, actionable steps work better than general reassurance, and that is something all of us can get better at offering. However, we also need to think about the human cost of actionable support as well.

鈥淲hen AI suggests a walk or a breathing exercise, the suggestion is where its involvement ends. When a person offers the same thing, it usually comes with their presence as well. We don't just suggest the walk, we go on it. That kind of support takes real time and effort, and the people closest to us are often stretched thin. So to me, this work is less about AI replacing us and more of a reminder that what we want from each other in hard moments is often more than the people we love can give."

• 鈥� DOI 10.1037/emo0001712

Alcohol-related harm continues to place a significant burden on health services. The study highlights that these harms are most common late at night, particularly at weekends, when higher levels of intoxication can contribute to injuries, violence and emergency healthcare demand. The researchers note that Scotland recorded more than 31,000 alcohol-specific hospital admissions between 2022 and 2023.

The team says the findings provide important evidence for policymakers considering future licensing decisions. They argue that both the scale of licensing extensions and the types of venues receiving them should be carefully considered when assessing potential impacts on public health and community safety.

The authors also note that previous international research has linked reductions in late-night trading hours with decreases in alcohol-related harm. As the first UK study to examine the relationship between extended opening hours and alcohol-related ambulance call-outs, they believe the results can contribute to future national and local licensing policy discussions.

Professor Niamh Fitzgerald of the University of Stirling, and Principal Investigator of the wider study, said: 鈥淥ur study shows that local authorities need greater powers to control the number and type of venues that are allowed to open later at night because large-scale extensions will result in increased health harms and crimes. Whilst this part of the research didn鈥檛 find measurable impacts in Glasgow, local stakeholders reported in interviews that the 4am extension in just 10 nightclubs had put frontline services under severe strain.鈥�

The study was a collaboration between The University of 水多多导航, the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Sheffield, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Scottish Ambulance Service, and forms part of a wider project led by the University of Stirling.

role on this work and the wider NIHR funded ELEPHANT project focused on advising the statistical design and methodologies proposed for the analyses, including analyses of changes in the geographical distributions of harms.

• Fathers who undertook solo caregiving became more confident and capable parents.

• Early childcare experiences helped fathers better understand the emotional, practical and mental load of caring for children.

• Mothers were often able to return to work earlier or pursue career progression because they had confidence in their partner's caregiving abilities.

• Couples were more likely to view childcare as a shared responsibility rather than primarily the mother's role.

• Many fathers continued to organise work around family responsibilities years after their leave ended.

• Some fathers became more open about caregiving responsibilities at work and more willing to prioritise family life over career progression.

Rethinking careers and parenting

"Our research shows that fathers' solo caregiving can have long-lasting effects on how couples organise work and family life years later,鈥� said Professor Emma Banister from the Work and Equalities Institute at Alliance 水多多导航 Business School. "The fathers we spoke to developed confidence and skills through caring for their child alone, and those experiences continued to shape their decisions about work and parenting long after their leave had ended."

Challenge to traditional gender roles regarding paid and unpaid work

The study also found evidence that fathers who had taken sole responsibility for childcare were more likely to challenge traditional expectations about parenting and work.

Several participants reported openly discussing childcare commitments with colleagues and managers, rejecting the idea that caregiving should be hidden or secondary to paid work.

The researchers argue that organisations and policymakers should do more to support fathers who want to take an active role in childcare.

Implications for parental leave policy

The researchers say the findings strengthen the case for expanding dedicated leave for fathers.

While Shared Parental Leave was introduced in the UK in 2015 to encourage more equal parenting, uptake remains relatively low because of affordability, eligibility restrictions and the way the system is structured.

The study suggests that creating more opportunities for fathers to undertake solo caregiving could help promote greater gender equality both at home and in the workplace.

"The benefits we observed weren't simply about fathers spending more time with their children - it was the experience of taking responsibility for childcare independently that appeared to make the difference,鈥� said Professor Ben Kerrane of 水多多导航 Metropolitan University. 鈥淭hat experience helped reshape how couples thought about parenting, careers and family responsibilities, with effects that were still visible five years later.鈥�

Publication details

The study was published in journal Human Relations.

DOI:

Graeme studied Biomedical Sciences with 水多多导航, and it was while here that he took up rowing. That turned out to be a turning point in his life, and a few years later, his intense training and selection pathway for the 2012 London Olympics meant that he missed out on celebrating the completion of his degree.

Fourteen years and a spectacular sporting career later, which saw Graeme selected for Rio 2016, and competing in Tokyo and Paris, The University thought it only right that he had the opportunity to finish his degree properly 鈥� he is, after all, a recent inductee into our Sporting Hall of Fame.

Watched on by his parents, his son, and his soon-to-be Wife, Lucy, Graeme commented,

Following his ceremony, Graeme was invited to a reception with a few of the members of the current 水多多导航 Rowing Club.

This new Long Baseline Multistatic Radar (LBMR) capability for real-time space object characterization transforms existing radio-frequency infrastructure, including radio telescopes and satellite communications antennas, into a powerful dual-use system for Space Domain Awareness.

As the number of satellites being launched every year grows towards the tens of thousands, space is becoming increasingly congested. At the same time our reliance on services provided from space is becoming increasingly clear. For these reasons it is essential to boost our capabilities of monitoring, tracking and characterising objects in orbit.

Radar is a powerful tool for monitoring objects in orbit, but observing distant regions such as geostationary orbit (36,000 km) requires high power transmitters and the most sensitive receivers. Radio telescopes like the Lovell Telescope and e-MERLIN are designed to detect the faint natural radio emissions from stars and galaxies, while large deep-space communications antennas routinely receive extremely weak signals from distant spacecraft. By using these assets as geographically distributed radar receivers, the sensitivity of existing radar systems can be increased by more than tenfold ,enabling the detection of smaller objects at much greater distances.

To make this capability useful for space operations, the radar echoes received at the radio telescopes need to be collected, processed and analysed in real time. This has now been demonstrated in a new project funded by the UK Space Agency at a live event recently held at the European Space Agency at Harwell, in the UK.

Key stakeholders from the government, defence and industry in the UK and Australia were able to see the radar detections and measurements live on screen. This is a world first for this type of radar technique and a major milestone in moving LBMR from research towards operational capability, reflecting the shared leadership and complementary expertise of partners across the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

The University of 水多多导航 is a key member of this project, and the use of the 76-m Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is central to obtaining the sensitivity improvement which this approach offers. Using additional e-MERLIN antennas (supported by STFC) adds flexibility, resilience and the future potential for real-time orbit determination.

This project was funded by the UK Space Agency through its International Bilateral Fund and led by the University of Birmingham. Originating from within two NATO- Research Task Groups (STO SET-293 and SET-340), which have involved the University of 水多多导航 from the outset in 2020, the project has brought together partners from the three nations to overcome key challenges in synchronisation, distributed sensing and real-time processing. Beyond proving a new capability for monitoring space objects, LBMR provides a platform for continued innovation, international collaboration and the development of the specialist skills needed to help protect critical space infrastructure and ensure the safe, secure and sustainable use of space.

Dr Chris Blount at the UK Space Agency said: 鈥淭he Long Baseline Multistatic Radar (LMBR) project has been a fantastic example of innovation and collaboration by incredible UK and international talent, and an exemplar case of the capability multiplication through collaboration the International Bilateral Fund (IBF) seeks to achieve. The LBMR team have taken the thorny challenge of real time on-demand monitoring of space objects on geostationary orbit, and through proactive partnering and an innovative application of existing world class UK assets, have been able to demonstrate a state of the art, dual use by design, capability. This has been achieved without the extensive investment, time, and effort a dedicated facility would have otherwise needed, and even surpasses the capability such a facility would yield. This is exactly the innovation and engineering excellence UKSA and the IBF seeks to promote, and is a key step towards a capability to make the UK and our international partners safer and better able to respond to the challenges of a congested and contested space.鈥�

Professor Simon Garrington, a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, University of 水多多导航, UK, said: 鈥淭he 76-m Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank makes a superb radar receiver for this type of work. We are very keen to realise its full potential in contributing to monitoring objects in orbit, protecting UK assets in space, and making space safer. Our e-MERLIN array is also being used in this work and is a unique UK capability for high precision measurements of objects in orbit鈥�.

Professor Gaven Smith, CB FREng 鈥� University of 水多多导航 and former CTO, GCHQ, UK said: 鈥淭his is a compelling example of how research facilities and skills can be applied to the challenge of protecting important UK assets in space against a range of natural (eg space debris) and potentially hostile threats. The need for these capabilities is becoming increasing urgent, and this application of radio telescopes shows how powerful capabilities can be developed rapidly and cost-effectively within the UK, by leveraging our research base.鈥�

Prof Marco Martorella, LBMR project leader, Chair in RF and Space Sensing at the University of Birmingham, UK, said: "The successful demonstration of the Long Baseline Multistatic Radar marks an important step towards an operational Space Domain Awareness capability. Beyond its immediate operational potential, LBMR provides a unique platform to advance radar technologies, validate new sensing concepts, and train the next generation of RF and radar engineers. Building and retaining this expertise is essential to developing the capabilities needed to detect, track and identify space objects, helping to protect critical space infrastructure and ensure the safe and sustainable use of space for the future.鈥�

Chris Saunders, a senior mission concepts engineer at UK-headquartered space company, Goonhilly, said: 鈥淭his project has been a fantastic demonstration of multi-national collaboration across academia and industry, demonstrating the value of leveraging existing satellite communications infrastructure to protect our critical assets in space. Goonhilly looks forward to building upon the successful LBMR concept, as it continues to develop day/night, all-weather, RF-based Space Domain Awareness capabilities.鈥�

Mr. Gregory Hogan, Chair of NATO SET 鈥楲BMR for Space Domain Awareness鈥� Research Group, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, US, said: 鈥淭his multi-nation live demonstration highlights the advanced capability that can be achieved through Allied partnership. By augmenting US radars with partner nation radiotelescopes significant increases were achieved in sensitivity for detecting and characterizing satellites at Geosynchronous distances, greatly enhancing the SDA mission.

Ken Smart, Space Domain Awareness Lead at CSIRO, Australia, said: 鈥淭he success of the Long Baseline Multistatic Radar demonstration relied on bringing together complementary capabilities from across the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. CSIRO's contribution of the Mopra radio telescope and expertise in radio astronomy and signal processing extended the geographic reach of the network and provided an independent receiving capability from the Southern Hemisphere. Together, the partners demonstrated how existing scientific and communications infrastructure can be combined to deliver a powerful new approach to Space Domain Awareness, while strengthening international collaboration on the technologies needed to help ensure the safe, secure and sustainable use of space.鈥�

Phoebe Ryder, PhD Student at University of 水多多导航, UK: 鈥淔or me as a young scientist, it has been really valuable to join an international team which brings together experts in space radar, satellite communications and radio astronomy. This project has been a great opportunity to combine curiosity-driven research with real world needs to produce a demonstration of a useful and novel capability. Working with the UK Space Agency, and other stakeholders, has given me invaluable insight into the applications of this research, and hopefully some opportunities for a future career in this really interesting and important area.鈥�

Dr. Jason Guicheteau, Chair of NATO Sensing Technology (SET) Scientific Technical Committee, US, said: 鈥淭he successful live demonstration of the LBMR is a testament to the power of allied collaboration, showcasing the transition of foundational science into a tangible, operational capability originating out of NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) research task groups."

• Multiple agencies share responsibility for tackling economic crime, in some cases creating uncertainty over leadership and accountability

• Competing priorities and budget pressures can limit organisations' ability to devote resources to economic crime investigations

• The broad and evolving nature of "economic crime" makes it difficult to define priorities and measure success

• Outdated technology and poor data-sharing arrangements continue to hamper investigations and intelligence gathering

• The UK's response relies heavily on cooperation between organisations with different responsibilities, cultures and objectives

Economic crime has become one of the UK's biggest crime threats

The researchers say economic crime encompasses a vast range of offences, from online fraud and investment scams to money laundering, bribery and sanctions evasion.

However, a key issue identified by the study was ambiguity surrounding the term 鈥榚conomic crime鈥� - which lacks clear boundaries and scope - and how different threats should be prioritised.

The research found that political priorities and major world events can rapidly reshape which forms of economic crime receive attention and resources. As a result, agencies can find themselves responding to an ever-expanding range of threats, stretching already limited resources.

The authors argue that while the broad label of economic crime helps attract political attention and funding, it can also obscure important differences between offences that require very different responses.

Outdated systems slowing investigations

Participants in the study also highlighted concerns about the technological tools available to investigators. Some reported that basic collaboration and data-analysis capabilities lag behind those available in the private sector, with information-gathering processes that should take days sometimes taking months.

The researchers found that these limitations can make it more difficult to identify emerging threats, share intelligence and coordinate action across agencies.

What is needed

The researchers say the enabling conditions needed to tackle the problem are:

• A shared definition of economic crime, clear enough to guide prioritisation yet flexible enough to serve both political and operational purposes

• Data-sharing arrangements and intelligence infrastructure that allow partners to act and build understanding simultaneously

• Clear incentives and dedicated resourcing that allow partners to commit meaningfully beyond their core organisational mandates

• Clear delineation of roles and responsibilities across agencies, with recognised leadership

• Formalised but flexible accountability arrangements that create soft mechanisms for ensuring participation without undermining partner autonomy

Why this matters

Fraud is now one of the most common crimes affecting people in the UK, while money laundering enables a wide range of serious criminal activity, from organised crime to corruption.

The findings also have wider relevance for governments around the world that are increasingly relying on multi-agency partnerships to tackle complex forms of crime that cross organisational and national boundaries.

What the researchers say

"The National Economic Crime Centre was created to bring together the many organisations involved in tackling economic crime, recognising the need for a collective response鈥� said Professor Nicholas Lord. 鈥淗owever, coordinating agencies with different responsibilities, priorities and resources is not straightforward, and certainly needs more than goodwill.鈥�

"What emerges from this study is a picture of a system that depends heavily on cooperation between organisations,鈥� added Professor Elisa Bellotti. 鈥淭he challenge is not simply understanding economic crime itself, but creating the conditions that allow different institutions to work together effectively in responding to it.鈥�

Publication details

The study was published in the Journal of Economic Criminology.

DOI:

The scroll was formally presented to the University during a visit by two of Rutherford鈥檚 great grand-daughters. The historic Rutherford gift has also inspired new named physics chair at 水多多导航

The gift strengthens the University's connection with one of the most influential scientists in history and the continuing leadership in the fields he helped create.

To mark the gift, the University has established the Ernest Rutherford Chair in Physics, a new named professorship within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The chair will recognise leading researchers working in fields closely associated with Rutherford's scientific achievements, including nuclear, particle and accelerator physics. The new chair joins a distinguished group of named professorships in Physics at 水多多导航, including the Langworthy Chair, one of the oldest physics chairs in the world, the Regius chair in Physics established by royal patronage, and the Lovell Chair in Astrophysics.

Rutherford is widely regarded as the 鈥渇ather of nuclear physics鈥�. During his time at 水多多导航 between 1907 and 1919, he transformed the University's Physics Laboratory into one of the world's leading centres of scientific discovery.

Among the breakthroughs achieved in 水多多导航 were the discovery of the atomic nucleus, the identification of the proton and the first artificial nuclear reaction, which is often referred to as 鈥渟plitting the atom鈥�. These achievements laid the foundations of our modern world, gave rise to the fields of nuclear and particle physics and led to innumerable technological, industrial and societal impacts

Professor Chris Parkes, Head of The University of 水多多导航 Physics and Astronomy Department, said: "Rutherford's years in 水多多导航 changed our understanding of the physical world forever, shaping our understanding of atoms. The discoveries made here have shaped our world today and continue to influence scientific research more than a century later.

"We are delighted that Lord Rutherford's descendants have chosen 水多多导航 as the home for this important historical document. It is a powerful recognition of the University's role in preserving and celebrating Rutherford's remarkable legacy and our continuing world leadership in research in the fields of nuclear and particle physics"

Jenny Joy and Caroline Roberts descendants of Rutherford, added: 鈥淲e wanted this scroll to be seen and used as part of his legacy as it has hardly ever seen the light of day, and it is a valuable stunning historical document in its own right鈥�

During their visit, members of Rutherford's family took a tour of the Physics department, including seeing his original desk and visiting modern facilities that continue the 水多多导航 tradition of cutting-edge research in his areas of interest.

It was in the University's former Physics Laboratory 鈥� now known as the Rutherford Building 鈥� that Rutherford led a team of pioneering scientists whose work revolutionised our understanding of the atom.

His influence extended far beyond his own discoveries. Rutherford鈥檚 work established 水多多导航 as an international centre of scientific excellence, allowing the University to attract many renowned scientists to continue his legacy. He is also well known for mentoring many of the leading physicists of the twentieth century. The historic scroll will be preserved within the University's collections, ensuring that future generations can continue to learn about the scientist whose discoveries in 水多多导航 changed the world.

She added: "While I welcome the child-focused courts that the government has introduced, the family justice system has an opportunity to move from seeing children as passive recipients of adult decisions to recognising them as active participants. If children's voices are consistently heard, respected and acted upon, family courts will be better protect their safety, wellbeing and long-term health."

Recommendations

The researchers are calling for major reforms to private family law proceedings, including:

• Ensuring children's voices are routinely and meaningfully heard throughout family court proceedings.

• Embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child more fully into domestic law.

• Reforming family court practice so children's views genuinely influence decisions affecting them.

• Providing specialist training for judges, legal professionals and safeguarding practitioners on children's rights, trauma, coercive control and child sexual abuse.

• Introducing stronger safeguards against technology-facilitated abuse, including the misuse of children's medical information.

• Expanding access to child-centred, trauma-informed interventions such as play therapy and specialist counselling.

The authors conclude that meaningful reform will require not only legislative change but also a cultural shift across the family justice system towards recognising children as equal rights holders whose lived experiences should guide judicial decision-making.

Publication details

The paper was published in the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law.

This study was supported by a grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Participatory Research Fund to Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, Principal Investigator. The findings remain the responsibility of the research team.

DOI:

Today, instead of thinking about how we communicate with machines, scientists are trying to improve how machines communicate with us. How they might read our intentions, notice when there鈥檚 a change in our demeanour and earn our trust.

This isn鈥檛 just a question about technology, it鈥檚 also about psychology, ethics and what we need from the intelligent systems that increasingly share our workplaces, hospitals and homes.

The problem of trust

People build trust instinctively, often without noticing; it could be the way someone listens, remembers what matters to us, responds at the right moment, or handles a mistake. Now, researchers at 水多多导航's are studying how these same dynamics might play out with machines.

They鈥檝e found that our trust in robots often depends on two things: whether a robot can do what it claims, and whether it responds to situations 鈥� especially failures 鈥� in ways that feel recognisably human. A robot that completes a job but ignores typical social cues may be accurate, but it鈥檚 often not trusted as much as a robot that fails a task but acknowledges its mistakes in a human-like way.

also found that the voice a robot uses is important. During this exercise, people showed greater confidence in working with a machine when it spoke in an AI-generated voice designed to sound more human, even though when asked afterwards they claimed to have preferred a standard robotic version instead. It suggests that what people believe they want from robots and how they actually behave around them, are not always the same.

When the robot is watching you

However, trust doesn鈥檛 only run one way, and that鈥檚 why 水多多导航 researchers have been developing 鈥楥omputational Trust鈥� 鈥� mathematical models which help robots assess the trustworthiness of the humans they work with.

, knowing how much a human partner鈥檚 contributions can be relied upon helps a robot to anticipate what its human partner is likely to do next, or where they might go wrong.²

This ties in with the 鈥楾heory of Mind鈥� concept, which describes a human ability to understand that other people have their own knowledge, intentions and goals that may differ from your own. Developing an artificial version of this 鈥� a robot that can genuinely read the room 鈥� is one of the most ambitious targets in the field.

Understanding another mind

To address this, 水多多导航 researchers are now exploring what happens when machines begin to develop a basic version of 鈥楾heory of Mind鈥�. In , a research team gave pairs of autonomous robots different personalities and priorities. Some were designed to be more socially focused, while others were more playful. Each robot had its own needs and goals, but those needs were invisible to its partner. The challenge was learning to work together anyway.

To do this, the robots used their own experiences as a starting point for understanding each other. If a robot observed behaviour that looked familiar, it could begin to infer what its partner might be trying to achieve. Over time, those estimates were refined through interaction. The result was a machine capable of making decisions not solely for itself, but with another agent in mind.

The researchers found that cooperation emerged most successfully when at least one robot was willing to prioritise the needs of another. Simply giving the robot the ability to reason about another's mental state was not enough, what mattered was how it used that knowledge when deciding what to do next.

In human terms, it is the difference between understanding that somebody needs help and choosing to offer it.

Feeling heard

Progress in this field relies on developing a machine that can respond empathetically, not just correctly.

When , they chose to train it on facial expressions as well as text, giving it the ability to recognise emotional states and respond in ways that were more empathetic. When tested against responses from a leading commercial language model, Emma's replies were judged to be more humanlike and appropriate.

As AI becomes increasingly conversational and robots a more familiar presence in our lives, how well these kinds of interactions work for us matters in two ways: for the quality of the experience itself and for whether we can rely on these systems. Trust will be built through transparency, honesty and by machines that understand us well enough to know what we need.

In 1951, the human had to adapt to the machine but in 2026, we are building machines that might, at last, begin to adapt to us.

听

Words: Ben Harwood and Enna Bartlett

Meet the researcher

Letitia Berto is a Research Associate in the Cognitive Robotics Lab at The University of 水多多导航. Her work is inspired by how children learn and develop, and focuses on building robots that can think, learn, and adapt on their own. She aims to design autonomous intelligent systems that are curious, capable of making decisions, understanding others, and acting in trustworthy and ethical ways 鈥� ultimately enabling meaningful and effective collaboration between humans and robots in the real world.

If you would like to find out more about the research referenced in this article, you can find the full papers at the links below:

1. The Effect of Voice and Repair Strategy on Trust Formation and Repair in Human-Robot Interaction - DOI:

2. Computational Trust in Robotics: Preliminary Investigations and Evidence -

3. A Theory of Mind Motivational Framework for Social Interaction with Autonomous Cognitive Robots - DOI:

4. Multimodal Dialogue for Empathetic Human-Robot Interaction - DOI:

听Justice, Arts, Memory, Migration听(JAMM): Creating Solidarities across Borders听will bring together听academics,听artists听and听cultural practitioners听to share experience and best practice across universities, cultural听institutions听and听community organisations.听

Dr Warren is a member of JAMM's management committee and is working group co-leader of the 'Urban Space, Creative Sectors & Social Cohesion working group. She is involved alongside听other 水多多导航 participants:听postgraduate听researchers听Clare Courtney听and听Haoyue Gul听(University of 水多多导航)听and听Mahboobeh Rajabi,听Founder听and听CEO听of 听an innovative, artist-led platform and cultural caf茅.听

Dr Warren commented:

JAMM brings together 70 researchers from 27 countries and has been awarded 鈧�170,000 in the first year with an estimated 鈧�680,000 over four years (depending on the number of participating COST member countries). It was one of only 80 projects out of 1,090 applications selected for funding by COST.

Applications to join JAMM Working Groups are now open and academics, students and cultural practitioners are being encouraged to take part:

Claims in the study that people affected by parental alienating behaviours showed greater signs of stress, PTSD and depression are also challenged by the team from The University of 水多多导航 and the University of New Brunswick.

Lead author doctoral researcher Nic Robson, along with Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, both from The University of 水多多导航, and Professor Linda Neilson from The University of New Brunswick, have published a in the Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody and Child Development of February's study led by Professor Ben Hine.

The researchers found a lack of evidence in the Hine study that the behaviours were identified by a dependable sample of the UK public, and a lack of evidence that the identified parenting behaviours were actually connected to parental alienation.

The authors of the rebuttal contend that methodological standards typically associated with academic or scientific research were not met. Other limitations identified by the researchers included:

• Reliance on online responses submitted to a marketing agency.
• Use of discredited or outdated measures, or selection of items from established psychological scales without validation.
• Limited reporting on methodology, sampling and data collection procedures.
• Absence of research methods that would enable analysis of cause and effect.
• Methodologies that failed to establish that behaviours attributed to parental alienation were not actually connected to family conflict or abuse.the first half of your story here.

The Hine study, covered by calls for policy and legal reforms, including the development of school programmes to teach children how to identify so-called 鈥減arental alienating behaviours.鈥�

The study has also been cited within official raising questions about the robustness of the evidence appraisal and guideline development process of the guidance, particularly given the methodological concerns with the Hine study that have since been identified.

"The Hine study states that parental alienating behaviours cause children to become allied strongly with one parent, rejecting the other without justification during a high-conflict separation or divorce," said lead author Nic Robson, a PhD researcher from the University of 水多多导航. 鈥淗owever, the assertion is based on a controversial concept of parental alienation which has been criticised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, the Family Justice Council in the UK, and other bodies.鈥�

Previous by Dr Dalgarno showed many parents accused of parental alienation are often female victims of domestic abuse who often report being subjected to biased family court proceedings.

The women in Dr Dalgarno's study said parental alienation claims were raised against them when they attempted to safeguard their children.

"The authors of the Hine study also acknowledged a correlation between the alleged parental alienating behaviours and domestic abuse among parents, yet no investigation appears to have occurred to determine if there was a causal relationship between the two," Robson said.

This points, Robson, Neilson and Dalgarno say, to a flawed report that identifies negative behaviours of parents reported by a group of online respondents that may or may not have been associated with behaviours the Hine study researchers were attempting to measure.

Robson added: 鈥淯nfortunately, while the authors presented some selected data, they did not provide adequate information about the scales they used, the survey questions, the complete dataset, or an in-depth analysis of their results.

鈥淐onsequently, it is difficult to work out if the omissions were intentional, indicative of selective reporting, or a reflection of the limitations of the survey.鈥�

Dr Neilson said: 鈥淲e strongly urge professionals and policymakers to base decisions on scientifically validated methods and rigorously tested evidence.

鈥淎nyone reading the report of the Hine study should exercise caution, however especially in connection with policies and practices that shape clinical or legal work.鈥�

Dr Dalgarno added: "The concept of parental alienation remains highly contentious due to its lack of scientific validation and empirical evidence supporting its reliability as both a psychological construct and a measurable phenomenon.

Allegations of parental alienation are frequently employed by fathers with histories of abuse as a legal strategy to dismiss or deflect serious claims of child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and coercive control."

• Dalgarno and Robson are both core voluntary members of the , a global research collective exploring the health, social, human rights and economic impacts of domestic abuse and violence on women and children. Linda Neilson is Professor Emerita and a research associate of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research at the University of New Brunswick, Canada.
• The paper Methodologies and Moon Landings: A critical review of parental alienating behaviour research, is published in the , DOI:

In December 1990 Makagbeh Princess Sesay crossed into neighbouring Guinea (Guinea-Conakry ) in a truck with her family after fighting forced them to flee their home during the Liberian civil war.

Her father died in Liberia, not long after the civil war began. After that, she also lost her mother in a small Guinean border town called Koyama, located near the Liberia鈥揋uinea border.

Left to navigate life as a refugee, she grew up in communities hosting thousands of displaced Liberians in the towns of Macenta, Gu茅ck茅dou and Kissidougou.

She witnessed first-hand the hardships faced by refugee families, including poverty, food shortages, poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare and disrupted education.

In Gu茅ck茅dou, she witnessed vicious attacks by Liberian rebel forces in 2000 and many people died across the whole town in appalling circumstances.

Yet those experiences would ultimately inspire her future career.

While living in Columba refugee Camp in Guinea Princess (Makagbeh) volunteered with humanitarian organisations helping some of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable people.

She worked with Action Against Hunger on health education, hygiene campaigns, nutrition programmes and community surveys.

She also received training through the International Rescue Committee, which supported refugee education and health projects.

Meanwhile, she worked with CARE International, helping coordinate food distributions that provided vital support to thousands of displaced families.

Seeing the difference these organisations made sparked a lifelong interest in improving health and wellbeing.

After over 10 years in Guinea, Princess was resettled to Norway in 2003 through a United Nations refugee programme.

The move offered a fresh start and the chance to continue her education.

Determined to give back, she chose to study public health after seeing how access to clean water, nutrition, healthcare and health education could transform lives.

That journey eventually brought her to 水多多导航 College in 2015, where she got a distinction in level three health and social care.

After a few years working as a carer, she started in 2023 at The University of 水多多导航, where she has now graduated with a BSc in Public Health.

Her studies allowed her to connect her personal experiences with academic research into global health inequalities.

She said: 鈥淢y journey has taken me from fleeing a civil war in Liberia to living in a refugee camp in Guinea and now graduating from The University of 水多多导航.

鈥淟osing both of my parents at a young age was incredibly difficult, but the support I received from humanitarian organisations and the communities around me gave me hope and determination.

鈥淕rowing up as a refugee showed me how important healthcare, education, sanitation and nutrition are to people's lives. 水多多导航ing Public Health has helped me understand these challenges in greater depth and strengthened my desire to support vulnerable communities and work towards reducing health inequalities around the world.鈥�

Now a University of 水多多导航 graduate, Princess hopes to use her education and experiences to improve public health and support disadvantaged communities both in the UK and internationally.

That might include going back to refugee camps in Africa or elsewhere.

Her lecturer and academic advisor Sam Aston from The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淧rincess鈥檚 remarkable journey is a testament to her resilience and determination to fulfil her dream at 水多多导航. The passion and compassion that she has shown for public health have driven her to turn her experiences into a purposeful education.

鈥淲e are immensely proud of her achievement and excited to see the difference she will make in improving health for vulnerable communities.鈥�

• Princess serving meals to children alongside a French representative from the humanitarian organization Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger).
• Princess standing beside cooking oil boxes wearing blue cap during a refugee food distribution exercise.
• Princess besides a CARE truck