PhD student wins international dance competition

Dina Haddad, a Cambridge PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, has won the chemistry category of the 2026 Dance Your PhD competition. The annual contest is organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and challenges PhD students to explain their research through an original dance. Haddad’s submission, entitled ‘Magnetic Flow’ after her work using magnetic nanoparticles to extract cell-free DNA from urine samples, includes an original song and pole dancing. Haddad is the first UK winner of this competition since 2017.

Half-marathon runs out of medals

The Cambridge Half-Marathon was held in the city centre on the 8 March, after which several racers shared their disappointment when the event ran out of medals. Around 15,000 racers participated in this year’s run. Although it is unclear how many were affected by the medal shortage, one participant who did not receive a medal reported “hundreds” of racers behind him. The event director Adam Moffat offered a “massive apology” to the affected participants and promised them a medal in the post, as well as free entry to next year’s event.

Researchers say AI toys miss the mark

Researchers at the University’s Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) Centre have reported that ‘smart toys’, which speak to children using Generative AI, struggle with developmentally important aspects of play. The researchers found that AI toys commonly misread emotions and struggle to provide socially appropriate responses. For example, a child who told a smart toy “I love you” received this reply: “As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided. Let me know how you would like to proceed.” The project is the first systematic study on how generative AI toys influence children under the age of five, and was commissioned by the children’s poverty charity The Childhood Trust.

Homerton goes home

Homerton College has launched its new initiative ‘Homerton for Homerton’, which aims to encourage students from Hackney, the College’s original location, to apply to the University. The project aims to “inspire young people in the community where it was born”. The College was originally founded in Homerton, Hackney, in 1768, before moving to Cambridge in 1894. The project launched on 13/03 at The Urswick School in Hackney. The initiative includes a STEM-themed escape challenge, school engagement events, and fully-funded visits to the College for about 250 students. Both the mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, and the deputy mayor, Anntoinette Bramble, attended the project’s launch, where they delivered speeches in support of the initiative.