Reading in the news - Thu 9 Apr

Notopus: BBC Radio 5, Yahoo News (via AP News) GB News, BBC South Today (skip to 21.00), The Independent, BBC Newsround, and more than 100 global outlets provided further coverage of a discovery made by Dr Thomas Clements (Biological Sciences) about a fossil mistaken as the world’s oldest octopus. Dr Clements (pictured, left) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire on the topic. From our story: ‘Oldest octopus’ fossil is no octopus at all, scans reveal. 

Safe burnt toast: The Times, AgTech Navigator,  Seed World, The Times (print), and Milling Journal mentioned a study co-authored by Dr Stephen Elmore (Food and Nutritional Sciences) on the production of wheat with reduced levels of asparagine, a toxic compound. 

Health and wellbeing:

• Magic Classical highlighted a study by Professor Julie Lovegrove, Dr Rosalind Fallaize and Dr Michelle Weech (all Food and Nutritional Sciences) using camera glasses to track diets. From our story: Cameraglasses show diet researchers what we really eat 
• Dr Piril Hepsomali (Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences) was quoted by PsyPost about links between high sugar intake and depression. 

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment

• Dagens (republished by MSN) quoted Dr Mohamed Foudad (Meteorology) on how climate change is impacting air turbulence. 
• EurekAlert reported on a tool developed by Dr Ranjini Swaminathan (Meteorology) to assess climate change models. From our story: Months cut from climate model checks with speedy new tool 

Food and farming:

• Dr Lizzie Rowe (Agri-Food Economics and Marketing) was quoted by Nation Cymru about the conditions caged chickens are kept in. 

Business and society:

• PR News mentioned a study into detecting AI-written university essays. 
• A study finding AI negatively impacts linguistic diversity was featured by WebPro News. 
• Professor Adrian Palmer (Henley Business School) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about rising fuel prices. 
• Dr Sinem Bulkan (Henley Business School) wrote for Raconteur about toxic leadership in the workplace. 

Heritage and culture:

• El-Balad quoted Professor Kate Williams (History) about the social symbolism and status of the monarchy.  

Other coverage:

• PostJung mentioned research into why people get music stuck in their heads. 
• Glass News mentioned that Student Ahmed Gilani will be taking part in the Futurebuild 2026 panel discussion. 
• Reading Chronicle and Bracknell News mentioned research into the Loddon Garden Village housing project. 

Alumni:

• National Network reported that Adeleye Falade, who has an MBA from Henley Business School, has been appointed CEO of NLNG. 
• David Sweetnam, Director of Research and Lab Services EMEA and Chemistry graduate, wrote for Keypoint Intelligence on robotics investments.