Brian Cox says UK physics funding cuts are ‘destruction of the future’

Grant cuts of nearly 70% may force university departments to close and ‘annihilate’ research, scientists say

British physicists have shaped our understanding of nature and the universe for more than a century, uncovering the building blocks of matter and furthering our knowledge on cosmic puzzles from the big bang to black holes.

But senior scientists warned on Friday that the field of particle theory faces an existential threat after universities were informed of savage cuts to research. Brian Cox, a TV scientist and professor at the University of Manchester, said the impact amounted to the “destruction of the future”.