Major funding cuts to physics research could lead to a "lost generation" of UK scientists, according to a recent report. Hundreds of young researchers are warning that the country's best minds are moving abroad because they can no longer find stable careers at home.

These cuts, announced by the national funding body UK Research and Innovation, have slashed physics grants and forced the cancellation of four major building projects. Senior experts, including Scotland’s astronomer royal and the president of the Royal Astronomical Society, describe the situation as a catastrophe that threatens to drain the nation of its scientific talent for years to come.