Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Molecular Electrolyte Design Enables Sodium Batteries with LIBs-parity Energy-Density and Improved Sustainability
The research landscape of metal (Li, Na, K) batteries has long been hindered by a paradox between ether and carbonate solvents, which hampers their development. This motivates us to explore new electrolyte chemistries that reconcile the conflicting requirements without sacrificing sustainability.
Behind the Paper: Ensemble ML and SHAP for hybrid polypropylene composites
We asked if tensile strength and stiffness of hybrid PP can be forecast from small, costly datasets. Here’s why we used an ensemble + SHAP workflow, what we learned, and how it suggests practical composition windows for real parts.
What Bringing the Lab to the Public Taught Us About Fairness
'Behind the Paper' on a citizen science, lab-in-the-field study capturing >18,672 decisions about fairness from volunteer members of the public (Vahed, S. & Sanfey, A.G. Large-scale community study reveals information sampling drives fairness decisions. Communications Psychology 3, 178 (2025))
Post-approval safety studies: why they matter
Intravitreal therapies are invaluable for treating diabetic macular oedema (DMO). Often clinical trials do not provide sufficiently large patient populations to assess specific safety concerns, hence the need for post-authorisation safety studies, as shown with long-acting corticosteroids.
Cost-effective drone toolkits for stream habitat monitoring — enabling scalable, high-resolution assessments
Cost-effective monitoring is critical for tracking stream health. Our new UAV-based toolkit enables rapid, high-resolution habitat assessment using only an off-the-shelf drone, making routine ecological monitoring more accessible and scalable.
