Scientists unlock new route to extreme light intensification - UKRI – UK Research and Innovation

In mid-September 2026, Hurricane Polo began as a tropical disturbance off the Pacific coast of Mexico. By September 20, it was organized enough to qualify as a tropical depression, and by the next day it was a tropical storm. From there, Polo launched into a period of rapid intensification that left meteorologists searching for adjectives strong enough to convey what was happening. Some described the storm's rate of intensification and strength as "jaw-dropping," others as "astonishing," and others as "absolute insanity. "

The festival runs from 17 October to 7 November, with over 300 free events across the UK. Researchers from 41 universities run sessions on all facets of social science, including:

The U. S. National Science Foundation and United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) are bringing together scientists on opposite sides of the Atlantic to explore a shared frontier in chemistry research: quantum information. The agencies are jointly investing over $10 million across eight research projects that are co-led by scientists in the U. S. and UK. Quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition have been observed and studied in individual atoms and particles of light for years. However, demonstrating, controlling, and quantifying such phenomena in molecules and chemical reactions are new scientific challenges. The research teams supported by NSF and UKRI will advance foundational chemistry research in those areas and, in the process, may reveal new ways to address longstanding problems in quantum information science and technology. For example, new molecules could be designed and synthesized to preserve and shield fragile quantum information from environmental changes, such as temperature, which would otherwise destroy the information.