Science news

Loughborough to lead project aimed at enabling independent AI systems to learn from each other

A new international project seeks to create advanced AI programmes that will enable machines to learn progressively over a lifetime and share those experiences with each other.
Woman tying trainers with tech symbols around her

New study to develop smart textiles powered by body movement for remote health monitoring

The global population recently reached 7.8 billion, among which almost 15% suffer from disabilities mainly caused by ageing and chronic diseases.

Atomic concept

Ultrasound at the nanometre scale reveals the nature of force

Researchers have developed a new method to measure force and atomic bonds at the nanoscale that reveals that the speed of sound depends on the structure it is travelling through.
Animation of a girl surrounded by images from social media.

New animation aims to help people with eating disorders safely navigate social media

Researchers from Loughborough University have teamed up with UK charity Beat to create an animated video that explores how social media affects people with an eating disorder.

Martin Lindley

Loughborough academic appointed as trustee of UK’s largest Bioscience society

Dr Martin R Lindley, a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, has been made a trustee of The Biochemical Society.
Human hand and robot hand touching

Expanding human-robot collaboration in manufacturing: PhD student trains AI to detect human intention

Machines and robots undoubtedly make life easier. They carry out jobs with precision and speed, and, unlike humans, they do not require breaks as they are never tired.

Shifa Technologies.

Record nominations for University research and enterprise in LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards

Loughborough University has a record 13 nominations across eight categories in the 2021 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards, representing pioneering engineering research and dynamic start-ups which have been launched on LUSEP, the University’s science and enterprise park.
Sun rising over a solar panel farm

Missing piece in solar panel puzzle solved by Loughborough scientists – and it could lead to more efficient technology

Silicon-based solar modules dominate the current market. However, they are expensive and have a high carbon footprint.
Woman sat in front of a fan

Urgent planning on heat and health needed to face climate change trajectory

An international team of leading experts, including academics from Loughborough University, caution that projections of a hotter future require urgent planning and more investment in research to reduce the risks of heat-related disease and death.
Illustration of a building with different energy supplies

New AI system predicts building energy rates in less than a second

At a time when the UK is trying to reach net zero by 2050, the timely, accurate calculation of energy efficiency is a vital component of the design process for new and refurbished buildings.

Ancient meteorite could reveal the origins of life on Earth

A 4.6-billion-year-old meteorite found lying in the imprint of a horseshoe is likely a remnant of cosmic debris left over from the birth of the solar system and could answer questions about how life began on Earth.

How stress affects the body – and how practice can help athletes react better under pressure

It isn’t easy being a professional athlete. Not only are the physical demands greater than most people could handle, athletes also face intense psychological pressure during competition.

NASA collaboration: Newly discovered planets could help scientists learn more about Earth’s ‘teenage’ years

Four newly discovered planets could help scientists learn more about how the Earth and our solar system developed during their ‘teenage’ years.
A woman at a office desk with her head in her hands

Bumble’s week off: employees suffering from burnout need more than an extra holiday

After a busy year involving a rise in customers, a stock market debut and all the pressures that come with a global pandemic, the dating app Bumble recently announced that all staff would be given a week off work.
Crystallisation occuring. Protein crystal of lysozyme with tetragonal or sea urchin shape in one droplet

Clear about crystallisation: Exchange project aims to increase survival rate of various diseases by improving knowledge of a pharmaceutical purification process

For the next two years, researchers from Loughborough and Tianjin Universities will make the 10,000+ mile round journey between the two institutes in a bid to increase our understanding of a key process used in the pharmaceutical industry to purify molecules.
A drone flying against a pink sky

Loughborough researchers to help develop next-generation drone technology for intelligent solar plant inspections

Loughborough University researchers are to help develop cutting edge drone robotics for autonomous, fast, ultra-high-resolution solar plant inspections as part of a new collaborative project funded by Innovate UK.
Illustration of solar panels

Sustainable energy expert appointed Chair of UN group dedicated to increasing solar energy uptake

An academic in Loughborough University’s School of Social Sciences and Humanities has been appointed to a United Nations role that will allow her to continue pushing for solar energy uptake.

Illustrations of different sized women next to the words body positive

Body positivi-tea: Barbie, social media, airbrushing and more discussed on the latest episode of Cuppa with a Scientist

The topic of ‘body positivity' never seems to leave headlines and recently there have been questions about whether the movement is as beneficial as it sounds.

School of Science to get several major grants for transformative research

Research within Loughborough University’s School of Science has received a funding boost through a ground-breaking new programme designed to support adventurous high-risk research.

Next gen battery takes step closer to eclipsing current technology

Scientists have taken a big step towards creating the next generation of rechargeable batteries which will eclipse current energy storage technology if successful.
Displaced community waits in line for food.

Clean energy cooking in refugee camps should be prioritised on the humanitarian agenda, new briefing note argues

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced in the world at the end of 2019, and over the course of 2020, that number has soared beyond 80 million*.
Illustration of speech bubbles.

Conversations, and how we end them

Conversation has been described as “the primordial site of human sociality”. We all have a lifetime’s experience to draw on if asked how it works, or when we reflect on the conversations we have participated in.
An illustration of a group of runners

Participants needed for research exploring the impact of ‘Couch to 5k’ on markers of health and wellbeing

Participants are being sought for a new Loughborough University project exploring the health impacts of the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme.

Loughborough’s new £1m high-performance computer will transform research

A new £1.1m high-performance computer has been officially unveiled at Loughborough University.
Ask An Expert COVID edition cover photo

Video Q&A: Curious about COVID-19? Expert panel answer questions on vaccines, wellbeing and more

Are you immune to COVID-19 if you’ve had the vaccine? Is there going to be a ‘third wave’? How accurate are lateral flow tests? Will the coronavirus ever fully disappear?