• Cinematic depictions of AI scientists reaffirm gender disparities, study reveals

    A University of Cambridge study found that cinematic depictions of AI scientists “are so heavily skewed towards men” that a “cultural stereotype” has been established which may contribute to the shortage of women now working in AI development. The team from the University’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) whittled down over 1,400 films to the 142 most influential cinematic works featuring artificial intelligence between 1920 and 2020, and identified 116 characters they classed as 'AI professionals'. Of these, 92 per cent of all AI scientists and engineers on screen were men, with representations of women consisting of a total of eight scientists and one CEO. This is higher than the percentage of men in the current AI workforce (78 per cent). Researchers argue that…

  • View from India: Metal birds dazzle skies at Aero India show

    The 14 th edition of Aero India - Asia’s largest aerospace expo - has begun amidst fanfare at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru. National and international aerospace and defence companies are exhibiting their best indigenous aircraft carriers that are sleek in design and aerodynamically superior. Indoor pavilions are sporting their scaled-down versions, while the actual ones are taking to the skies. Fighter jets roar in full throttle as they seemingly disappear into the air. The supersonic speed and velocity of the metal birds is mind-blowing. “Globally, 75 countries are using India’s defence capabilities. Our country’s arms exports have grown to $1.5bn during FY 2021-22. The Aero India show has broken past records. The participation of over 700 global and domestic exhibitors…

  • Whitehall changes need to be more than just a distraction

    Changes to the machinery of government can be seen as cumbersome and bureaucratic, but they can also realign the national focus. The UK has a long history of world-leading innovation and new ideas. The bigger challenge is how to move from generating the ideas to getting them out there in the commercial world. So, what does the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology need to do to meet that challenge? Its creation provides a welcome statement of intent that the UK is willing to back more ambitious innovation to bring wider benefits for individuals and society. Yet as The Economist recently put it: Britain is a great place to start a company, but a bad one to scale it up. To address that problem, the right national apparatus and mindset needs to be in place to scale innovation…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Letters to the editor: volume 18, issue 2

    UK business needs to look past qualifications When I left school in 1977, I walked out of the gates after my last exam and with no career advice went straight into an electrical apprenticeship, as that’s where most boys went then. A very small number went on to college and university. Most 16-year-olds haven’t a clue what they want in life – I have five children, so I have some knowledge about this. Three obtained degrees, one didn’t and he has done well with college qualifications. My youngest is following his dream in music. I so wish I’d had the opportunities he now has. It’s true having a degree can make you more employable. My daughter has given up teaching, sick of working 60+ hours a week, no free weekends, constant targets, stress, no life basically. Chained to an education system…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • The eccentric engineer: The forgotten great American inventor

    In 1856, just before the US Civil War, Granville T Woods, known in his later life as the ‘Black Edison’, was born to a part Native American mother and African American father. At age 10, poverty meant he was forced to leave school and take a machine shop apprenticeship. Here, however, is where Woods discovered his true calling, engineering. How he studied this novel subject is unclear, but he must have learned on the job and may have gone to night school. At 16, he began a series of jobs on the railway and in an iron works while studying electrical engineering in college. Six years later he was working on the British steamer ‘Ironsides’, where he was rapidly promoted to chief engineer. Woods had more sophisticated plans. In 1880, he moved back to his native Ohio and set up as an inventor…

  • AI discovers new cause of high blood pressure

    A team of scientists at St George’s, University of London, used artificial intelligence tools to analyse the blood vessels found at the back of the eye and their connection with heart diseases.  The team discovere d 119 areas in the genome (complete set of DNA) that help to determine the size and shape of these vessels and which could be used in routine eye checkups to help identify health problems.  In the past, scientists have shown that the shape and size of blood vessels on the retina are associated with health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. However, until now, little was known about how genetics play a role in determining the architectural characteristics of these blood vessels. The researchers found that an increase in ‘twisting…

  • Hands-on review: Miofive Dash Cam Dual

    We tested and reviewed the initial dash cam offering from Chinese-owned brand Miofive last year, the eponymous Miofive 4K . It's a very good system, with excellent clarity and quality to the captured front-facing footage thanks to its use of a 4K UHD Sony IMX 415 sensor and its 'Starvis Night Vision' technology. At the time, we noted that it was a shame that there wasn't also a front and rear two-camera version available, an idea which would undoubtedly appeal to a lot of drivers. From our lips to Miofive's ears. Here it is: the Miofive Dash Cam Dual . The same rectangular-body 4K UHD front-facing camera (capable of a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160px @30fps), complemented by the addition of a smaller, rounded-body 2K QHD rear-facing camera (capable of a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440px @30fps…

  • Book review: ‘Quantum in Pictures’

    The latest work by computer scientists Bob Coecke and Stefano Gogioso, ‘ Quantum in Pictures ’, aims to make the quantum world more accessible and inclusive. So, whether you’re a high school student or a science enthusiast, the authors are confident that anyone mastering the tools in the book will gain an understanding equivalent to that of a quantum mechanics graduate at university. But what if a complete novice in quantum computing, i.e., this reviewer, could gain a genuine understanding of the field by simply reading this book? Let’s test this out, shall we? Full disclosure from the get-go, I have absolutely no prior knowledge or expertise in quantum computing, therefore Coecke and Gogioso’s latest research and book is not only worthy of a review but also a lesson for someone who barely…

  • Nasa agrees to use Blue Origin rocket for Mars mission

    Nasa has revealed its plans to use Blue Origin's recently developed 'New Glenn' heavy-lift rocket to blast off its dual spacecraft for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (Escapade) Mars mission.  New Glenn is the rocket designed by Blue Origin to compete with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy . The rocket's first flight was originally scheduled for late 2021, but this was subsequently pushed back and is still yet to take place.  Despite the lack of mission experience, the rocket has been chosen to launch Nasa's spacecraft in late 2024 from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The twin Escapade spacecrafts will take around 11 months to reach their Mars orbit, where they will capture data from the planet's magnetosphere and its interactions with solar radiation. “Escapade…

  • Investors holding $1.5tn in assets call on European banks to cut fossil fuel funding

    Coordinated by ShareAction, the letters were written to banks including Barclays, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Deutsche Bank and Societe Generale. The investors, who include Candriam, La Française Asset Management and Brunel Pension Partnership, expressed concern that new oil and gas fields may jeopardise the global path to net zero. The investors also warned that these activities were holding back the renewable energy revolution in Europe, which they said was more important than ever as the continent battles with uncertain energy supplies in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The amount of financing these European banks provided to oil and gas expanders between 2016-2021 is as follows: Barclays – $46bn, BNP Paribas – $46bn, Crédit Agricole – $34bn, Societe Generale – $34bn, and…

  • Art or Engineering?

    As art has become more ideas-based and less about reproduction of the world around us, engineering’s role in it has grown in importance. Creating gravity-defying mobiles, rearranging the pieces of an exploded shed, building an inside-out sculpture of a house, and designing a fountain from tipping water hoppers, are all 20 th -century works of art whose success is underpinned by engineering. How much of what we call art or engineering is about context? Do the materials and technology we use matter? And can the passage of time change our views on what is or isn’t art? The American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976, below) is best known for creating large mobiles from brightly coloured aluminium shapes of varying weights and densities, hung from extended series of thin metal rods. Earlier…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Ofcom investigating inflation-linked mid-contract price rises for broadband

    The regulator said it was “concerned” about the degree of uncertainty consumers face about future price rises specified in contracts on the basis of inflation. The unpredictability of inflation rates means it can be difficult to know, often months in advance, what an inflation-linked price rise will equate to in pounds and pence when consumers enter a contract. The review comes in the wake of record high inflation, with the cost of living increasing across the UK since early 2021. The annual rate of inflation reached 11.1 per cent in October 2022, a 41-year high, before easing to 10.7 per cent in November and 10.5 per cent in December 2022. High inflation affects the affordability of goods and services for households. In preliminary research, Ofcom found that around a third of mobile…

  • UK Ventilator Challenge revisited: what must we learn to address net zero?

    I recently had an inspiring chat over coffee with Dick Elsy CBE, chairman of AB Dynamics, whom I was privileged to support during VCUK, the 2020 UK Ventilator Challenge established in response to the Prime Minister’s urgent call for additional ventilators to cope with Covid. Happening around the same time as this conversation were the COP27 meeting and the Aerospace Technology Institute conference, the latter dominated by discussion of the aviation industry’s response to climate change. Prompted in part by all three of these things, I revisited the VCUK initiative with others from the team to discuss whether we can apply what we learned to add extra pace to current progress towards achieving net zero carbon emissions. Five points came through clearly and consistently on why VCUK was such…

  • Teardown: Amazon Astro consumer robot

    You cannot buy the Amazon Astro consumer robot in the UK, even if it is part of that technology giant’s vision for your home and has been on sale for a year. But Astro is a rapidly emerging beta product in the US and merits investigation. Sales are by invitation only and, should you get one, it’s $1,000 (£814) a cutie, rising eventually to $1,499. And it can be cute. Astro can smile, dance and now – thanks to a new hardware peripheral – chuck treats to your cat or dog while you’re out. Astro can check for open doors, intruders and appliances you forgot to turn off. If you leave it with an elderly or infirm family member, it can keep an eye on them. Despite the privacy concerns, there are many of us who would find that useful and comforting. To these ends, it can scan an entire floor, but…

  • 5G retrofitting could cost the aviation industry $637m, IATA says

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said the costs to retrofit airplanes would far exceed the $26m (£21.5m) estimated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Reuters has reported.  The organisation, w hich represents more than 100 carriers that fly to the United States, said the figure would be closer to $637m (£526m).  The estimate is a response to the FAA's proposal to require all passenger and cargo aircraft in the United States to have 5G C-Band-tolerant radio altimeters or approved filters by early 2024.  In the past, the FAA has warned that 5G technologies could   affect sensitive aircraft instruments such as altimeters - which provide pilots with an accurate reading of the plane’s proximity to the ground, helping to minimise the risk of accidents or collisions…

  • The measure of: Icon of the Seas cruise ship

    Set to enter service in January 2024, the first Icon Class ship will offer the travel industry’s “first-of-a-​kind combination of the best of every vacation”, according to Royal Caribbean International (RCI). Icon of the Seas was recently floated out of dry dock by Finnish shipbuilding company Meyer Turku, ready for outfitting. When complete, it will be the largest cruise ship in the world by gross tonnage, according to RCI, with three Icon ships expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2023 and in 2025. Image credit: Cover Images Sailing from Miami and promising “the ultimate family vacation”, the ship will feature the largest waterpark at sea, a 47m waterfall inside a vast geodesic dome, the world’s first swim-up bar at sea and an infinity pool suspended…

  • After All: Can engineers learn from a ladybird?

    At a recent dinner at my Cambridge University college, I was introduced to a young American engineer – the son of one of our Visiting Fellows. “What kind of engineering are you into?” I asked him. “Origami,” he answered. He must have misheard me due to my accent. “Sorry, I was curious about your field of engineering – not your favourite hobby,” said I. He smiled. “I work for an origami engineering company, where we are finding practical applications for that ancient Japanese art of folding paper and other objects.” “I know what you mean,” I interrupted. “I’ve always been hopeless in folding up my shirts to put into a suitcase without making a huge mess and have to ask my wife to do it. As my late mum used to say, my hands grew from a wrong spot, haha.” My patient interlocutor…

  • UK scientists make quantum breakthrough

    The team of scientists has come a step closer to making multi-tasking 'quantum' computers, far more powerful than even today's most advanced supercomputers. The University of Sussex and Universal Quantum team used a new technique, which they dub ‘UQ Connect’, to use electric field links to enable qubits to move from one quantum computing microchip module to another with unprecedented speed and precision. The technique allows chips to slot together like a jigsaw puzzle to make a more powerful quantum computer. The scientists were successful in transporting the qubits with a 99.999993 per cent success rate and a connection rate of 2424/s. Both of these numbers are world records and orders of magnitude better than previous solutions. “It’s fantastic to see that the inspired work of the…

  • 3D lidar system improves safety of autonomous vehicles

    Autonomous vehicles typically come equipped with lidar systems that use pulsed lasers to map objects and scenes in order to allow autonomous robots, vehicles and drones to navigate their environment. Kyoto University researchers have developed a non-mechanical 3D lidar system, which fits in the palm of the hand, that can be used to measure the distance of poorly reflective objects and automatically track the motion of these objects. “With our lidar system, robots and vehicles will be able to reliably and safely navigate dynamic environments without losing sight of poorly reflective objects such as black metallic cars,” said lead researcher Susumu Noda. “Incorporating this technology into cars, for example, would make autonomous driving safer.” The new system is possible thanks to a unique…

  • Google's AI bot makes costly mistake in its own promotional materials

    The shares of Alphabet – the parent company of Google – fell over 7 per cent after its new AI chatbot was found to contain inaccurate information. Bard is an AI tool created by Google to compete with ChatGPT ,  a free app that generates text in response to a prompt, including articles, essays, jokes and even poetry. The popularity of the app has skyrocketed over the past few months, leading Microsoft to incorporate its technology into a new version of its search engine, Bing.  In an ad promoting Bard, the bot was asked : “What new discoveries from the James Webb space telescope (JWST) can I tell my nine-year old about?” Bard replied that JWST was the first telescope to take pictures of a planet outside the Earth's solar system. This answer is incorrect. The milestone was actually claimed…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Impact of minimum service levels on striking railway workers investigated by MPs

    The bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, would allow the secretary of state to make regulations setting out the minimum service required for rail during industrial action. Unions and workers would have to comply with these or face losing protections against being sued or dismissed. The Transport Committee wants stakeholders to submit evidence to help it understand how a minimum service level on the rail network could be defined and the factors that should be taken into account. This includes whether it would be set with reference to proportion of the timetable, service frequency, network coverage, key routes or other benchmarks.   The bill has proved highly controversial, attracting strong opinions both for and against. Unions and opposition parties have been…

  • The arts can teach STEM a thing or two

    Many people feel the goal for education should not solely be the acquisition of knowledge but how to use it and how to adapt it as needs change. As well as producing well-rounded students, some believe that a blended approach can bring more meaning to all subject areas and create a more equal educational experience, regardless of ability level. Graeme Lawrie is partnerships director at ACS International Schools. He says the subject disciplines are fading and that IT is not a separate subject any more. And that’s a good thing, as students use skills learned in one lesson in other areas. For example, if you can learn to program in Python, then you can create automated systems to process data collated in other subjects, he reasons. “Quite often we see that kids who are learning to do 3D design…

  • Satellites track microplastic hotspots in the ocean

    The satellites are able to track soapy or oily residue in seas and oceans which have been shown to carry microplastics. Microplastics – tiny flecks that can ride ocean currents hundreds or thousands of miles from their point of entry – can harm sea life and marine ecosystems, and they’re extremely difficult to track and clean up. But the researchers believe satellites could offer day-by-day timelines of where microplastics enter the water, how they move and where they tend to collect, for prevention and clean-up efforts. Data recorded by the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (pictured) showed less surface roughness – that is, fewer and smaller waves – in areas of the ocean that contain microplastics, compared to clean areas. In preliminary testing, they used the technique to…

  • Spain spends €258m on trains that don’t fit through tunnels

    Spain recently spent €258m (£228m) in designing 31 trains that will be delayed by several years due to a major design flaw.  The train designs were meant to be used in the FEVE line, which runs through the areas of Asturias and Cantabria. This line dates back to the 19th century, and so its tracks have track gauges narrower than the standard 1,435mm (4ft 8.5in), something that the manufacturer failed to notice in the designs.   Renfe, Spain’s national rail operator , Adif, the track company, and the country’s Left-wing coalition government have all faced harsh criticism after failing to notice the design fault. CAF, the Basque manufacturer in charge of the construction of the trains, first raised concerns about the sizing in March 2021. The company had signed a €258m (£228m) contract…

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