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Emirates test flight runs plane engine entirely on sustainable aviation fuel

The flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport, was designed to demonstrate the ability to power flights entirely with SAF as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions from the aviation sector, which is notoriously difficult to decarbonise. SAFs are typically derived by combining jet fuel with alternatives such as biofuels or recycled oils from industrial food facilities. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel. Following the successful trial on one engine, Emirates said it wanted to continue to develop the initiative with engine airframe manufacturers. Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
US and EU officials sign ambitious AI agreement

The European Commission and the US administration have recently signed an “administrative agreement on artificial intelligence for the public good” at a virtual ceremony. The agreement was signed in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), launched in 2021 as a permanent platform for transatlantic cooperation across several priority areas, from supply chain security to emerging technologies. The last high-level meeting of the TTC was held in the US in December 2022. At the time, AI was presented as one of the most advanced areas in terms of cooperation. A senior US administration official called it "the first sweeping AI agreement between the United States and Europe", stressing that previous agreements on the issue had been limited to specific areas such as enhancing…

E+T Magazine
£110m scrappage scheme to help ULEZ-affected Londoners switch to EVs

It follows Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year. The zone was first introduced in April 2019 in a bid to reduce air pollution and charges non-compliant vehicles – mostly diesel cars that are more than six years old and petrol cars that are more than 15 years old – £12.50 for each day they are in the zone. Already around 94 per cent of vehicles driving in inner and central London, and 85 per cent of vehicles driving in outer London already meet ULEZ standards. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods are designed to help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare. Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Philips to cut 5 per cent of its global workforce

Dutch consumer electronics and medical equipment maker Philips will cut 6,000 jobs over the next two years, in addition to the reduction of 4,000 staff announced in October, the company has revealed. The decision followed the reports that the company suffered a net loss of €1.6bn (£1.49bn) last year, down from a net profit of €3.3bn (£2.9bn) in 2021. The decline in revenue has largely been attributed to a write-down in the value of its Sleep & Respiratory Care business, which recently recalled 5.5 million ventilators used to treat sleep apnoea over worries that foam used in the machines could become toxic. The large-scale recall slashed around 70 per cent off Philips' market value in 2022, according to reports. Philips CEO Roy Jakobs said 2022 was “a very difficult year for Philips…

E+T Magazine
View from Brussels: EU Horizons to broaden in 2023 (kinda)

The EU’s €95 billion research programme, Horizon Europe, looks set to expand in 2023 as officials aim to agree new association agreements with partner countries that include Canada, Japan and South Korea. According to EU research commissioner Mariya Gabriel, Canada is likely to be onboard in the first half of the year and exploratory talks with Japan and South Korea are “getting closer to an end”. That is good news for researchers operating in those countries as it means they will be able to access Horizon funding on the same equal terms as the EU’s 27 member states. The association agreements will include financial contributions to secure that access. Canada in particular is extremely keen to collaborate with the EU on energy technologies and innovation, including battery production…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
View from India: Digital shift creates economic opportunity

Skill for better incomes Large scale digital transformation spurred by the pandemic continues across industries, prompting companies to migrate to cloud-based models from the traditional server-based ones. Hence there’s a felt need for professionals to handle cloud-based skills, be it data analytics, AI or DevOps (a portmanteau of development and operations). Those companies that deploy AI-ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) prosper, while those that don’t probably perish. Development tool and product design are enablers for topline and bottomline growth of companies. Seen futuristically, there could be bountiful opportunities in virtual reality and voice recognition. A digitally trained agile and creative workforce is required as organisations increase their digital investments…

E+T Magazine in Computing
China’s total 2022 smartphone shipments at lowest level for 10 years

The total number of devices shipped in 2022 was 286 million; down from 329 million in 2021. This means that the total sales volume for 2022 was the lowest since 2013 and the first time since that year that annual sales have dropped below 300 million units, IDC said in a report. Android handset maker Vivo was the top-selling brand over the year, with a market share of 18.6 per cent. However, its total shipments still fell by 25.1 per cent year-on-year. Honor ranked as the second best-selling brand, with shipments growing more than 34 per cent, albeit from a low base. Apple was the third best-selling phone brand in 2022, tied with Oppo. Apple's overall sales fell 4.4 per cent year-on-year, broadly outperforming the market downturn. Despite being the top-selling brand in the three-month period…

E+T Magazine in Telecommunications
Space foetuses and Moon bases: Lembit Opik on space colony Asgardia

Asgardia, also known as the 'Space Kingdom of Asgardia', was founded in 2016 by aspirational Russian billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli. Its goal is to be the first “nation” with a permanent colony in space, whether that’s on the Moon or in orbit. The current plan is to establish a permanent Moon base by 2043 – a project that seems ludicrously ambitious, even given the 20-year lead time. Opik is upbeat about the chances it will happen. “When John F. Kennedy in the early 60s committed to taking a man to the Moon and bring him safely back to the Earth, they hadn’t even been in orbit yet,” he said. “If you argue for your limitations, they're yours, no one will take them away from you.” Opik’s political career has had its fair share of twists and turns. Originally an MP for the Liberal Democrats…

E+T Magazine in Space
Novel anode design set to improve battery performance for for EVs and laptops

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) have developed the world’s first electrode design for a high-performance lithium-ion battery. The battery could, in the future, significantly improve the performance and stability of batteries used in electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs). To achieve this, the researchers used an electrode (anode) structure that enhances the reliability and performance of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The anode is designed with grooves allowing small materials with improved ion conductivity and electrical conductivity to be placed between high-capacity materials. The innovative design is able to maintain high performance and reliability even when the electrode…

E+T Magazine in Power Conversion
Book review: ‘Code for What?’ by Clifford Lee and Elisabeth Soep

Facial recognition software, a streaming service’s music-categorising algorithm, gendered and racialised high school dress codes and LBGTQ+ discrimination are some of the social issues that a team of teens at YR Media sought to address, using digital technologies. In 'Code for What?: Computer Science for Storytelling and Social Justice' (The MIT Press, $29.95, ISBN 9780262047456), Dr Elisabeth Soep, and Dr Cliff Lee challenge current practices in computer science courses. Instead of teaching computing in a technical and decontextualised way, they encourage educators to push the boundaries of traditional education and lean into interactive and impactful methods that can approach the content from a more human perspective. Could coding become a justice-driven medium for storytelling? Would…

E+T Magazine in STEM Education and Skills
Chancellor denies claims that HS2 will not terminate at London Euston

The Sun originally reported that HS2 trains could stop at a new hub at Old Oak Common in West London’s suburbs due to soaring inflation, which would either delay the redevelopment of Euston station until 2038 or see it face the axe completely. But Hunt said there were no “conceivable circumstances” where the project would have its terminus changed when asked by BBC News. Hunt acknowledged that the UK does not have “a good record” of delivering complex, expensive infrastructure quickly, but he is “incredibly proud” that HS2 is being built under a Conservative government. “We’re going to make it happen,” he added. In April 2020, the Department for Transport released a 'full business case' for HS2 that stated that the target timeframe for services launching between Old Oak Common and Birmingham…

E+T Magazine
Japan to block technological exports to China and Russia

Japan has tightened its sanctions against Russia following the latter's latest wave of missile attacks in Ukraine that killed at least 11 people. The decision will include a ban on Russia-bound shipments of goods that can be used to enhance military capability, including semiconductor equipment and components, robots, power generators, explosives and vaccines, according to the trade ministry. The decision will affect 36 individuals and 52 organisations. The sanctions target exports by Japanese firms, target politicians, military officers, businesspeople and companies in Russia and regions in eastern and southern Ukraine. “In light of the situation surrounding Ukraine and to contribute to international efforts to secure peace, Japan will implement export bans in line with other major…

E+T Magazine in Semiconductor Technology
Operating theatres covered in microplastics with unknown health impacts

A University of Hull team analysed microplastic levels in both the operating theatre and anaesthetic room in cardiothoracic surgeries and discovered an average of 5,000 microplastics per metre squared when the theatre was in use - almost three times the amount found in our homes. The anaesthetic room had far fewer particles, with an average levels of just 500 per metre squared when in use. Both settings had no microplastics settling out from the air when not in use. Researcher professor Jeanette Rotchell said: “You can imagine that during a cardiothoracic operation, which may last as long as eight hours, there will be a lot of people, utensils and consumable items. These items are all wrapped in plastic and this is contributing to all those particles in the operating room. “It is a very…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
UK underestimates oil and gas industry emissions, study finds

A recent study from researchers at Princeton University and Colorado State University has found inaccuracies within the current method for estimating methane emissions from offshore oil and gas production in the UK. As a result, as much as five times more methane is being leaked from oil and gas production than currently reported, the researchers said. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas providing more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide within the first 20 years of it reaching the atmosphere. It is currently estimated to contribute at least a quarter of today’s climate warming. Currently, c ountries are obligated to report their greenhouse gas emissions to international bodies such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, the study suggested…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
Hands-on review: Nexar Pro GPS dual dash cam

We previously looked at the Beam , Nexar's 'one big-eye on the road ahead' single-lens dash cam. Now, the Pro GPS model brings double the eyes, with separate front and rear-facing cameras for those who want to capture both the road outside and also the in-car activity. This is a growth area for dash cam companies. While some people are happy to simply capture the road ahead for insurance purposes, other drivers - particularly those carrying fare-paying passengers in these side-hustle, gig-economy times - need a record of what's taking place inside the vehicle, as well as potentially what's happening on the road behind. Nexar is selling a lot of dash cams, so it clearly knows its in-car onions. According to the company's own stats, Nexar users worldwide have collectively driven 3,000,000…

E+T Magazine in Road transport systems
Seaweed farming expansion could cut carbon emissions, improve food security

Seaweed is thought to offer a sustainable alternative to land-based agricultural expansion to meet the world’s growing need for food and materials. “Seaweed has great commercial and environmental potential as a nutritious food and a building block for commercial products including animal feed, plastics, fibres, diesel and ethanol,” said PhD candidate Scott Spillias. “Our study found that expanding seaweed farming could help reduce demand for terrestrial crops and reduce global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year.” The researchers mapped the potential of farming more of the 34 commercially important seaweed species. They estimated the environmental benefits of a range of scenarios based on land-use changes, GHG emissions…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
Artificial skin could sense objects without touching them

The artificial skin developed by researchers from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore could be able to identify objects it has not yet touched. The team demonstrated that the artificial skin could be used in a variety of applications, including the manipulation of virtual game characters, navigation of electronic maps, and scrolling through electronic documents. “Human skin has to touch something to tell it what is there,” said researcher Yifan Wang . “Human skin can only tell the softness or hardness of an object. We wanted our artificial skin to have more functions.” Even without touching an object, Wang and his colleagues´ artificial skin can sense if it is close by and can also discern some clues about the type of material it is made of. “We can tell whether it’s…

E+T Magazine in Biotechnology
ChatGPT AI bot passes law exams

ChatGPT was created by US firm OpenAI. The app uses artificial intelligence to generate streams of text from simple prompts. The results have been so good that some educators have warned that it could lead to widespread cheating by students, potentially even signalling the end of traditional classroom teaching methods. Jonathan Choi, a professor at Minnesota University Law School, gave ChatGPT the same test faced by students, consisting of 95 multiple-choice questions and 12 essay questions. In a white paper titled 'ChatGPT goes to law school', published earlier this week, Choi and his co authors reported that the bot scored an overall grade of C+. While this was sufficient for a pass, the bot was near the bottom of the class in most subjects and "bombed" at multiple-choice questions…

E+T Magazine in STEM Education and Skills
Climate policy ambitions ramping up in clean energy arms race

The body, which makes forecasts about the climate transition, said that climate objectives for the likes of the EU and US have taken “centre stage along with domestic economic and industrial needs”. It recorded “significant developments” over the last quarter across clean power, industry, transport and buildings. Policies tackling methane from oil & gas operations and agricultural sources are also beginning to emerge. In particular, it noted that negotiations on the EU’s Emissions Trading System and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as well as bans to petrol cars have concluded. This is in addition to agreements fast-tracking renewables projects. The US floated a carbon border adjustment tariff on steel and aluminium via cooperative climate clubs alongside approving a program scaling…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
IBM and SAP to slash thousands of jobs

IBM and SAP are the latest companies in Silicon Valley to announce their plans to cut thousands of jobs, following similar moves made by Spotify and Alphabet earlier this week. IBM has revealed it will cut around 3,900 jobs, amounting to 1.5 per cent of its global workforce. The layoffs will cost the company a bout $300m (£242m) this quarter, a spokesperson confirmed. German software giant SAP also said it planned to lay off 2.5 per cent of its global workforce of 112,000, amounting to around 2,800 jobs. The restructuring will cost SAP between €250m (£219m) and €300m (€263m). The companies have explained the layoffs as part of an effort to restructure their businesses towards specific products and models. An IBM spokesperson told CNN that the layoffs were "entirely related" to the…

E+T Magazine
Competition watchdog to clamp down on ‘greenwashing’ by household brands

Shoppers spent over £130bn on ‘fast-moving consumer goods’ (FMCG) last year, which includes household essentials like food and drink, cleaning products, and personal care items. A significant number of these are marketed as green or environmentally friendly, including up to 91 per cent of all dishwashing items and 100 per cent of toilet products, the CMA said. The body is launching a review into whether these claims are justifiable as part of an expansion into its ongoing work into ‘greenwashing’, which seeks to get to the bottom of whether products and services that claim to be green or eco-friendly are being marketed to shoppers accurately. The review will examine a range of essential items used by people on a daily basis and repurchased regularly. In 2021, the average household spent…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
UK car production hits lowest level in more than half a century

A report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said UK car production in 2022 shrunk to levels not seen since the 1950s. In 2022, a total of 775,014 cars were built in the country. The figure constitutes a 9.8 per cent decline from the 859,575 made during the previous year. December rounded off a volatile 12 months, with output down 17.9 per cent year on year, despite the growth that had occurred in October and November. The annual total for 2022 was 40.5 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels. The columns for the UK last year were up 9.4 per cent compared with 2021, but this failed to offset a 14 per cent decline in exports, with four out of five UK-built cars shipped overseas, the figures showed. “These figures reflect just how tough 2022 was for UK car manufacturing…

E+T Magazine in Automotive Engineering
View from India: Use tech upgrades to prosper or else perish

President Droupadi Murmu has hoisted the National Flag at the Kartavya Path to begin the 74th Republic Day celebrations. President Murmu was honoured with a 21-gun salute with the Indigenous 105 mm Indian Field Guns as she arrived at the Kartavya Path along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi. This was the first time an Egyptian President has been the chief guest at the Republic Day. The Republic Day Parade at the Kartavya Path has been represented by 23 tableaux, 17 from states and Union Territories and six from various ministries and departments. New Delhi's iconic Rajpath has been rechristened as Kartavya Path. The parade has a patriotic fervour, depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, economic progress and strong internal and external security…

E+T Magazine
Nasa could send nuclear rocket to Mars

Nasa and DARPA could test the thermal rocket engine as soon as 2027, with a view towards unlocking the key to enable future Mars missions. The two space organisations will partner on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO, programme, designed to benefit both agencies and outline roles, responsibilities, and processes aimed at speeding up development efforts. The project is intended to develop a pioneering propulsion system for space travel far different from the chemical systems prevalent since the dawn of modern rocketry. “With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to and from deep space faster than ever – a major capability to prepare for crewed missions to Mars,” said Nasa administrator Bill Nelson. “Congratulations to both Nasa and…

E+T Magazine in Nuclear Power

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