The UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) recently announced funding cuts to a range of physics and astronomy projects as it seeks to reduce costs. One of the most high-profile casualties is e-MERLIN , a network of seven radio telescopes spread across the UK, including the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank.

To discover what the cuts could mean for UK science and the livelihoods of those affected, podcast host Andrew Glester caught up with two astronomers at Jodrell Bank: Simon Garrington, e-MERLIN director, and David Williams-Baldwin, an e-MERLIN research support scientist.

They discuss why the cuts have caused such alarm among scientists, how the UK astronomy community is mobilizing in opposition, and why the consequences could extend far beyond Jodrell Bank.

Future of UK physics threatened by ‘ruinous’ funding cuts, says Institute of Physics

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e-MERLIN combines signals from its telescopes to produce sharp radio images of the Universe – with a resolution comparable to that…