• Banks to ensure access to cash within three miles for all UK citizens under new rules

    The new rules, imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), also stipulate that cash users can expect to make withdrawals without any fees. A 2021 study suggested that the UK could become an entirely cashless society by 2026 if trends of declining usage continued.  That same year, the number of payments made with cash plummeted by around 50 per cent as consumers were encouraged to use contactless in the wake of the pandemic. But cash remains vital for many people, particularly vulnerable groups including the elderly and domestic abuse victims who may not have access to other payment methods. “While the growing choice and convenience of digital payments is great, cash has an important and continuing role to play,” said Andrew Griffith, economic secretary to the Treasury. “People…

  • Up to 26m Americans face drinking water contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

    After collecting data on drinking water from cities across the country, the EPA found that up to 26 million citizens were affected by water with high levels of PFAS – or ‘forever chemicals’ – and lithium. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a group of around 12,000 different chemicals commonly found in non-stick cookware, waterproof cosmetics, firefighting foams and products that resist grease and oil. Despite their utility, PFAS have been associated with dangerous health effects in humans, livestock and the environment, leading to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer. “PFAS are an urgent public health issue facing people and communities across the nation. The latest science is clear: exposure to certain PFAS, also known…

  • Scientists design tougher flash memory device for space missions

    The researchers have been able to build a flash memory device that can withstand the hazards encountered by space probes, including exposure to radiation and huge temperature swings, which can be challenging for traditional electronic circuits. Although semiconductors are usually made from silicon, gallium oxide allows scientists to build devices that can support high currents and voltages with low energy losses.  In addition to space missions, the flash memory device could potentially be used in locations with risk of radiation or extreme conditions on Earth.  Gallium oxide is an ultra-wide band gap semiconductor material. It is usually a poor conductor of electricity, but incorporating certain impurities can enable it to carry an electrical current. “Gallium oxide-based devices have…

  • UK could be left behind in green energy transition, study warns

    Researchers have predicted British growth in low-carbon electricity output to reach 2.9 per cent by the end of the decade, lagging France (3.1 per cent) and Japan (3.2 per cent).  The nations with the largest growth in the sector were the US (6.4 per cent), China (7.2 per cent) and India (10.6 per cent). European nations also made the top five, with Spain predicted to reach 6.0 per cent and Germany 5.8 per cent.   “Of the world's largest eight economies, the UK is forecast to have the slowest growth in low-carbon electricity generation between now and 2030,” said Oxford Economics, which published the report for Energy UK.  This slowdown can be attributed to “low levels of expected investment”, with tax incentives from the US and European Union also increasing competition, according to…

  • Intel cancels $5.4bn Tower Semiconductor acquisition

    Intel’s decision to scrap a $5.4bn (£4.2bn) international chip deal to acquire Tower Semiconductor has been considered a result of deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington.  The two companies said the decision was mutual and had been made after Chinese regulators failed to approve the deal by a deadline, despite Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger’s trips to the Asian country to get the deal greenlighted.  Intel said that the deal was terminated “due to the inability to obtain in a timely manner the regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement”. “Our foundry efforts are critical to unlocking the full potential of IDM 2.0, and we continue to drive forward on all facets of our strategy,” Gelsinger said. “We are executing well on our roadmap to regain transistor performance…

  • Simple wood dust filter removes 99 per cent of microplastics from water solution

    Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found that adding natural plant compounds, known as tannins, to a layer of wood dust creates a filter that traps virtually all microplastic particles present in water. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic debris resulting from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste, and keeping them out of water supplies is a huge challenge. They are typically present in both tap water and bottled water. US studies have shown that an average of 325 plastic particles can be found in a litre of bottled water, and around 5.5 plastic particles per litre of tap water. Their long-term health impact on the human body is still largely understood. While the experiment is confined to the laboratory at this stage, the team says this…

  • India’s first mission to the Sun could uncover flaring mysteries

    Aditya L1 will be the first Indian mission to visit our nearest star. The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun, which is about 1.5m km from the Earth. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around this point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any eclipses, which will enable it to observe solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft has already arrived at its launch site on the island of Sriharikota on India’s east coast in preparation for the launch. It carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. From its vantage point, four payloads will directly…

  • Treasury wind farm rules could cost UK billpayers £1.5bn a year

    The non-profit’s latest report has criticised the rules surrounding the financing of offshore wind farm projects, claiming the government could cause taxpayers to miss out of savings of more than £1.5bn a year from  cheaper renewable energy.  Constraints on bidding for wind power – due to be completed in September – could secure as little as 2GW of offshore wind, compared with around 7GW that could have been secured without government red tape, ECIU has said.  A similar scenario took place last year, when the government  contracted 1GW less than it could have. ECIU figures showed the round could have been worth up to £225m in savings each year, under forecast wholesale prices of £100/MWh. “The government seems to be focused on North Sea gas licences and tax breaks for oil companies that…

  • BAE Systems proposes £4.4bn takeover of spacecraft maker Ball Aerospace

    Ball Aerospace has manufactured spacecraft including contracts with Nasa, while also producing components and instruments for national defence projects. It previously worked on optics and mirror systems for Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope , which entered service last year. BAE, which is one of the UK’s largest arms producers, said the purchase was “aligned with the US Intelligence Community and Department of Defense’s highest priorities”. It has enjoyed bumper profits in recent months due to a raft of new orders in the wake of the Ukraine war. Ball Aerospace is headquartered in Colorado, with more than 5,200 employees, of whom over 60 per cent hold US security clearances. It has built defence technologies including laser communication systems to link infantry and drones via satellite…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Cheaper green hydrogen production made possible with ‘thermochemical’ method

    Green h ydrogen is a versatile, storable, potentially zero-carbon fuel source that has been hailed as a solution for countries to reach their net zero targets. It produces just heat and water as by-products when burned or used in fuel cells, making it a highly attractive alternative to fossil fuels. Traditionally, green hydrogen is produced through gas electrolysis, using electricity to split molecules of water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. In contrast, the Colorado team’s ‘thermochemical’ approach uses heat generated by solar rays to complete those same chemical reactions. In the new study , the researchers demonstrated that they can leverage iron-aluminate materials to conduct these reactions at elevated pressures, allowing the team to more than double its production of hydrogen. The…

  • EDF launches consultation on 400MW onshore wind farm in Scottish Borders

    Liddesdale wind farm will be located within Wauchope Forest and Newcastleton Forest and could consist of up to 80 wind turbines, with a battery storage system and solar development on the site. The site is expected to power up to 231,000 homes. EDF has said it will deliver a community benefit fund of £5,000 per megawatt of installed capacity annually to local communities. Residents have been invited to meet the project team and discuss the proposals while it is still in the initial stages of development. Government policies over the last decade have hampered the roll-out of onshore wind power in the UK. In 2016, David Cameron instituted an effective ban on the infrastructure after pressure from Conservative MPs, who worried about the impact of wind turbine damage on rural communities…

  • Catalyst-coated lampshades could serve as indoor air purifiers, researchers find

    The lampshades target volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which account for most indoor airborne pollutants, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. These compounds are released by paints, cleaners, air fresheners, plastics, furniture and cooking. The invention works with halogen and incandescent light bulbs, and the team is extending the technology so it will also be compatible with LEDs, the researchers said.  “Although the concentration of VOCs in a home or office is low, people spend more than 90 per cent of their time indoors, so the exposure adds up over time,” said Hyoung-il Kim, the project’s principal investigator. In the past, co nventional methods to remove VOCs from indoor air have relied on activated carbon or other filters, which have to be replaced periodically. Other…

  • High-gain antenna brings superior data rates to Nasa’s Europa Clipper probe

    Once at its destination, Europa will use the antenna to continue communicating with Nasa, which will be roughly 444 million miles away. The spacecraft is designed to seek out conditions suitable for life on an ice-covered moon of Jupiter. Europa has the smoothest surface of any known solid object in the solar system, which has led scientists to hypothesise that a water ocean exists beneath the icy surface, conceivably harbouring extraterrestrial life. The massive, dish-shaped high-gain antenna stretches 3m across the spacecraft’s body and is the largest and most prominent of its suite of antennas. Once the spacecraft reaches Jupiter, the antenna’s radio beam will be narrowly directed towards Earth. High-gain antennas are designed to create narrow beams by focusing their power, allowing…

  • Badly-built e-bike chargers causing rising amount of fires, brigade warns

    The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has revealed that almost 40 per cent of e-bike fires are caused by conversion kits.  The news follows the publication of Electrical Safety First’s Battery breakdown report , in which the organisation called for a ban on universal chargers for e-bike and e-scooters, stating they could increase the likelihood of catastrophic lithium-ion battery fires.  The charity warned that there is an increasing amount of people using chargers that are not compatible with the voltage of their e-bikes, which could prompt a self-heating chemical reaction called thermal runway.  This year there have been three deaths in London from battery fires. Moreover, in 2023 alone, LFB recorded 93 e-bike and 18 e-scooter fires – averaging one every two days. “It’s approaching about…

  • New York could build 300,000 units in 10 years with six new policies, report finds

    The authors of a new RAND Corporation  report on New York housing affordability have stressed the need to the supply of housing in the city.  They have identified six policies that could spark the production of roughly 300,000 additional new housing units over a decade.  The policies include increasing allowable building density in strategic areas, streamlining building approval processes, reforming liability rules for construction sites, and introducing incentives to encourage conversion of office buildings to residential uses. The additional housing units would represent a more than 160 per cent increase over recent annual housing production levels in the city, according to the report. The authors said the surge in housing supply was likely to lead to increased affordability through…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • First train from Southeastern’s £27m fleet revamp begins passenger service

    Passengers will enjoy LED lighting, USB charging, a new live information system and a refurbished interior. The Class 395 high-speed fleet travels at 140mph and connects London St Pancras International with Ashford, East Kent and Medway. Unit 395012, which has a distinctive rainbow painted on the side, entered the train operator’s Ashford train maintenance depot on 12 June to have interior refresh work carried out, and emerged from the workshops today. It will be followed by another 28 trains over the coming months. The revamp will also include an upgraded CCTV system and energy meters designed to help Southeastern reduce its energy and environmental impact. This upgrade is being carried out in partnership with Hitachi Rail and Eversholt Rail. According to a survey from Transport…

  • Pink Floyd song reconstructed from recorded brain activity

    The phrase ‘All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall’ comes through in the audio file, marking the first time researchers have reconstructed a recognisable song from brain recordings.  To achieve this, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, captured the electrical activity recorded by 2,668 electrodes placed on 29 patients’ brains while they listened to the 1979 rock song and used nonlinear modelling to reconstruct it.  The findings could potentially be used to improve devices help people with speech difficulties.  “It's a wonderful result,” said Robert Knight, a neurologist and UC Berkeley professor of psychology. “As this whole field of brain-machine interfaces progresses, this gives you a way to add musicality to future brain implants for people who need it,…

  • Next-gen paint lowers building emissions by reducing cooling and heating need

    Space heating and cooling accounts for about 13 per cent of global energy use and about 11 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. The new paints, developed by Stanford University scientists, reduced the energy used for heating by about 36 per cent and for cooling by almost 21 per cent. In simulations of a typical mid-rise apartment building in different climate zones across the US, the use of the new paint on exterior walls and roofs meant total heating, ventilation and air conditioning energy use declined 7.4 per cent over the course of a year. “Energy and emissions from heating are forecast to continue to fall due to energy efficiency gains, but air conditioning use is rising, especially in developing economies in a warming world,” said Yi Cui, the study’s senior author. “For both heating…

  • Record number of solar panels and heat pumps installed in UK homes

    More UK homes than ever are turning to low-carbon technology, with the country on track to install certified renewable technologies in nearly a quarter of a million homes, according to a report by MCS, the official standards body for renewable technologies.  The body has found that, in the first half of 2023, more than 120,000 certified installations of heat pumps ,  solar panels and other renewable technologies occurred – a 62 per cent increase from the same period last year. This year is also the first to average more than 20,000 solar panel installations and over 3,000 heat pump installations per month. When looking at battery technology installations, each month has been breaking the previous month’s record, bringing the total number of batteries installed in homes and businesses…

  • Rocket Lab to launch two Nasa satellites monitoring climate change

    Two dedicated PREFIRE ( Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) missions will use the firm’s Electron rocket to deploy one small satellite each to a 525km orbit. The two 6U CubeSats will have a baseline mission length of 10 months. Electron is a two-stage, partially recoverable orbital launch vehicle that has been in use since 2017. Although the rocket was designed to be expendable, Rocket Lab has recovered the first stage twice and is working towards the capability of reusing the booster. The two satellites will be equipped with a thermal infrared spectrometer to compare the data with conditions in cloud cover and sea ice levels below. Analysis of the measurements obtained by the satellites will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming…

  • Nearly 34,000 children groomed in wait for Online Safety Bill – NSPCC

    The charity urged tech companies to accept the new legislation, rather than fight it, in an effort to protect children online. It added that 73 per cent of crimes were linked to Snapchat or Meta, and one in four online grooming crimes in the last five years were against primary school children. The much-delayed Online Safety Bill has been presented by the government as a ground-breaking law that will target online racism, sexual abuse, bullying, fraud and other harmful material often found on the internet. In its original form, the bill gave regulators wide-ranging powers to sanction digital and social media companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. However, it has been significantly watered down in revisions over the past year. MPs and Lords are expected to make the final…

  • Self-driving cars could slow down traffic, study finds

    A team at North Carolina State University ran a series of simulations to investigate the impact of the widespread use of autonomous vehicles in cities.  The researchers found that although connected vehicles – which share data with each other wirelessly – significantly improve travel time through intersections, automated vehicles’ focus on safety leads them to slow down when not connected to other cars. “There are two significant reasons that people are interested in automated vehicles – improving passenger safety and reducing travel time,” said Ali Hajbabaie, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University. “There is a lot of research showing that automated vehicles can improve safety. But our research here – which relies on…

  • UK space project to tackle air pollution in Singapore

    The Space South Central project will focus on monitoring air pollution and atmospheric weather forecasting in Singapore.  The initiative will be led by the University of Surrey, which will work with Singaporean researchers to develop instrumentation that can obtain data from very low Earth orbit and broaden understanding of the challenges and impact presented by climate change. Global climate change is a national priority for Singapore. The nation is often impacted by high levels of air pollution, particularly when wildfires in neighbouring countries cause haze. In addition, Singapore’s growing population and economy are putting pressure on the water supply, which is vulnerable to climate change.   The University of Surrey’s Dr William Lovegrove said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded…

  • Ancient ceramic water drainage system uncovered in China

    The infrastructure, which was found at the Chinese walled site of Pingliangtai, was created during the Longshan period about 4,000 years ago. “The discovery of this ceramic water pipe network is remarkable because the people of Pingliangtai were able to build and maintain this advanced water management system with stone-age tools and without the organisation of a central power structure,” said Dr Yijie Zhuang of University College London (UCL), corresponding author on the paper. “This system would have required a significant level of community-wide planning and coordination, and it was all done communally.” The ceramic water pipes make up what is thought to be the oldest complete drainage system ever discovered in China. Made by interconnecting individual segments, the water pipes run…

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