• Warwick University to host powerful nuclear magnetic resonance instrument

    There are only seven such NMR machines currently operating around the world, with the latest one to be hosted at Warwick University.  The funds have been awarded to a consortium of six UK Universities through the UKRI Infrastructure Fund: Lancaster, Liverpool, Nottingham, Southampton and St Andrews. The 1.2GHz NMR spectrometer will be located in a new building at the University of Warwick, creating two new jobs for scientists in the process. The powerful instrument builds on the current capability of 1.0GHz at the Warwick-hosted UK High-Field Solid-State NMR National Research Facility (pictured below). The new 1 GHz solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer in position at the National Research Facility for High-Field Solid-State NMR based at the University…

  • Where now for the transistor?

    The transistor celebrated its 75th birthday on Friday (16 December), just at the point where its future is in doubt, or at least its role in the future scaling of the chips that use this now ubiquitous device. Depending on who you ask, Moore’s Law is in various states of disrepair. Part of that problem is that the law itself is a bit underspecified so people naturally impress their own beliefs on it. While it was convenient, Intel pretended that it meant compute performance. Why? The company was pushing up clock speeds in a trend allowed by another of electronics’ informal laws, devised by IBM researcher Bob Dennard in the 1970s. A few years later that law slammed into the wall and Intel went back to talking about transistor density. Even that is a bit an illusion. Though Gordon Moore put…

  • UK at risk of ‘missing out’ on green manufacturing funding, warns think tank

    The report warned that the country was already “rapidly falling behind the EU” on green manufacturing investment and called for the government to provide cash incentives for green manufacturing businesses to set up in the UK. With manufacturing jobs concentrated in “left behind” areas, the report added that failing to secure green investment would further “devastate” industrial communities and cause political problems for the government in vital “red wall” seats. “If the government fails to secure these green factories, then they will go to the UK’s competitors in Europe, the United States and Asia,” the report said.  In some sectors, the UK could have even less than five years to secure investment, according to the researchers behind the report.  Given current building project timelines…

  • Global coal demand surges to levels not seen since 2013

    According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand increased only marginally this year despite the tight restrictions on oil supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The world’s coal consumption is expected to remain at similar levels up to 2025 in the absence of stronger efforts to accelerate the transition to clean energy. While wealthy countries are continuing to shut down their coal plants at record rates in a bid to cut carbon emissions, China’s ongoing use of the fossil fuel and its expansion of some facilities is expected to keep demand flat rather than seeing any reduction. An overall rise in usage of 1.2 per cent is expected this year, surpassing 8 billion tonnes in a single year for the first time and eclipsing the previous record set in 2013. Expected coal…

  • UK pledges £34m for ecological protection overseas

    Nearly £30m will go to support developing countries in delivering the ‘30x30’ target, which is aiming to protect least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean habitats by 2030. The target has the support of over 100 countries globally, with UK negotiators driving to get it included in a new UN Global Biodiversity Framework being negotiated in Montreal this week. In 2020, the government pledged to stick to the 30x30 target for land and sea in the UK, but a recent report found that only minimal progress has been made on plans to meet this commitment so far. As well as the funding for developing countries, an additional £5.79m of new funding will be spent on conservation projects in UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). These include using satellite technology to monitor seabird populations…

  • Virgin Atlantic chosen to operate ‘world’s first’ net-zero transatlantic flight

    Virgin Atlantic has won a competition to receive government funding for the first-ever net-zero transatlantic flight , the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. The flight will be powered by SAF, which is largely made from forestry or agricultural waste, such as cooking oil. The use of these fuels will allow Virgin Atlantic to reduce the flight's carbon emissions by about 70 per cent, with the remaining 30 per cent being offset by an investment in carbon removal technology.  Currently, safety  regulators only allow a maximum of 50 per cent SAF blended with kerosene to be used in commercial jet engines.  However, the UK’s transport minister Baroness Vere said the flight would demonstrate that it was safe to fully power a passenger aircraft with the new fuels. “For decades, flying…

  • Christmas STEM Challenge: Detecting Elves and Santa Claus

    If you are a light sleeper, and the reindeer make a clatter on the roof or Santa calls out to Rudolf or Donner and Blitzen, then you’ll be all right. When you hear Santa Claus and co, just open the window and look out. But suppose it’s quiet, or you are dozing – you’ll miss the chance to see the magic of Christmas. That’s why you need your very own Santa Claus & Elf Detector. Now here is a curious thing. A high-sensitivity multimeter, with its leads connected to nothing, set to AC, will in general display a reading, often 100mV or more. Just the probe wires lying around will pick up a signal. And that signal isn’t constant – move a bit closer to the meter to read it and the reading will change, like as not. What is going on here? Quite often, it is the magnetic field around wires carrying…

  • Book review: 'Switched On' by Albert Glinsky

    When you think of synthesisers, be it vintage or modern, the chances are high that you picture a Moog, or something very much like one. From their earliest incarnation in the mid-1960s, Bob (born Robert Arthur) Moog's designs, both visually and sonically, soon became synonymous with the word 'synthesiser' in general, helping to kickstart an entirely new approach to music, and also potentially creating a highly lucrative industry sector. The key word in the previous paragraph, at least as far as Bob Moog and fame and fortune is concerned, is "potentially". Becoming a legend is one thing. Turning that legend into tangible financial reward is quite another. To say that the Moog story had its ups and downs over the years would be a spectacularly dry understatement. As is often the case, the…

  • Nasa satellite used to monitor methane from landfill sites

    The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and other Nasa science instruments will be part of the global survey to detect the potent greenhouse gas. Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere, although it eventually dissipates at a much faster rate. It is estimated to be responsible for roughly a quarter to a third of global warming caused by humans. But due to its relatively short atmospheric lifespan, eliminating emissions could lower warming in a much shorter time frame than carbon dioxide reduction efforts. The aim of the new initiative is to establish a baseline assessment of global waste sites that emit methane at high rates. This information can help to support efforts to reduce the…

  • Liquid tin could cool down fusion reactors

    The discovery has led the research team to develop a liquid metal tin divertor, which is an advanced heat-removal component of fusion reactors. The process is possible due to the chemical compatibility between high-temperature liquid metal tin (Sn) and reduced activation ferritic martensitic, a candidate structural material for fusion reactors.  Fusion is a potential source of almost limitless clean energy but is currently only carried out in experiments as it has proved difficult to harness. However, there are hopes that  it could become a   safe and clean alternative   source of energy in the not-too-distant future. Divertors are fundamental components of fusion reactors, as they are used to gasify impurities in the plasma and send the gas to an exhaust pump. Usually, divertors are…

  • London Underground study discovers previously unknown air pollutants

    They believe that the particles – a type of iron oxide called maghemite – have been largely ignored in the past due to their diminutive size. But a new type of pollution analysis using magnetism has discovered the particles in Underground ticket halls, platforms and operator cabins. Since it takes time for iron to oxidise into maghemite, the results suggest that pollution particles are suspended for long periods, due to poor ventilation throughout the Underground, particularly on station platforms. Some of the particles are as small as five nanometres in diameter: small enough to be inhaled and end up in the bloodstream, but too small to be captured by typical methods of pollution monitoring. However, it is not clear whether these particles pose a health risk. The researchers believe…

  • New airport screening technology to eliminate 100ml liquid rule from 2024

    Passengers will be able to leave liquids and large electrical items in cabin luggage as they go through security in a bid to reduce hassle for passengers and speed up security queues. As changes will be gradual over the next two years, the current rules will continue to apply for the time being, but some airports may introduce the new systems sooner. Heathrow Airport, which has been trialling the new technology since 2019, said that at least 60 per cent of bags rejected at security checkpoints are subjected to hand searches because passengers haven’t removed all liquids from bags. This led to passengers spending an estimated extra 2.1 minutes in security in July this year alone. Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “The tiny toiletry has become a staple of airport security checkpoints…

  • US lawmakers propose TikTok ban

    The bipartisan bill is the latest move in the US against the company and is framed within the context of a trade war between Washington and Beijing.  The  proposed legislation  would “block and prohibit all transactions” in the US by social media companies with at least one million monthly users that are based in, or under the “substantial influence” of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. The bill specifically names TikTok and its parent ByteDance as social media companies for the purposes of the legislation.   The bill was proposed by Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher and Democrat Congresswoman Raja Krishnamoorthi. Last month…

  • Apple to permit rival app stores on European devices

    The iPhone maker is reported to have begun making preparations to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, which comes into force in 2024.  In meeting the requirements set by European legislators, Apple could allow its customers to download third-party software to their iPhones and iPads without using the company’s App Store, sidestepping Apple’s restrictions and commission charges of up to 30 per cent. The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to curb anti-competitive behaviour and keep “gatekeepers” from   suppressing market competition.  The fines for non-compliance can reach up to 10 per cent of annual turnover.  To address what it deems as   unfair business practices , t he DMA is set to require 'Big Tech' companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft to make their…

  • Full-fibre broadband rollout ramps up but UK household adoption remains low

    In its annual Connected Nations report, it found that full-fibre connections are now available to 12.4 million households (42 per cent) – an increase of 4.3 million from last year. In its last manifesto, the Conservative Party promised to install full-fibre, gigabit-capable broadband in every home and business across the UK by 2025. This pledge was later downgraded to just 85 per cent of premises in the UK, although last year, MPs questioned whether even this target was plausible considering the speed of the rollout. The average UK home broadband download speed is currently 59.4Mbit/s but the gap between UK households seeing the fastest and slowest speeds is widening as many customers upgrade to faster services. Full-fibre connections – along with upgraded cable networks – have the…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • View from India: Path breakers of a different kind

    Abhilasha Barak creates history The daughter of an army official, Abhilasha Barak spent her formative years in the military Cantonment. When her father, Colonel S Om Singh, retired in 2011 and her elder brother had his passing out parade at the Indian Military Academy in 2013, the fact that she was moving out of military life stirred her from within and became the starting point of a life-altering decision. An alumnus of the Lawrence School Sanawar and with a B Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Delhi Technological University, Barak was offered a job in Deloitte, USA. Destiny willed otherwise and, back on the home turf, she joined the Indian Army in 2018 and underwent extensive training at the officers’ Training Academy before being commissioned to the Army Air Defence…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • After All: A project that tried to stand a town on its head

    In the run-up to Christmas, even the most ‘correct’, pedantic and nerdish of us become dreamers, and those who do not, like to hear stories about other people’s dreams. That was probably why my last year’s real-life tale about Manea Colony – a peculiar Utopian community in 19th-century Cambridgeshire – triggered considerable reader response. This time we’ll have a look at yet another – much more modern – Utopian techno project. Let us begin with a protracted, yet relevant, quote: “Pedestrians should be loved. “Pedestrians make up the greater part of mankind. Not only that, the finer part. Pedestrians created the world. It was they who built towns; put up sky-scrapers; installed drainage and plumbing; paved the streets and lit them with electric lights. It was they who invented printing;…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Meta sued over claims it promoted violence in Ethiopia

    The lawsuit, filed in Kenya on Tuesday, was brought by two Ethiopian researchers and a Kenyan human rights organisation, the Katiba Institute. It also has the support of the campaign group Foxglove.  It alleges Facebook's recommendations systems amplified violent posts in Ethiopia and identified several people as targets. The suit also said the company failed to exercise reasonable care in training its algorithms to identify dangerous posts and in hiring staff to police content for the languages covered by its regional moderation hub in Nairobi. The lawsuit specifically pointed out several of the platform's posts, which directly preceded the murder of the father of one of the researchers. The posts were published in October 2021 and included the use of ethnic slurs to refer to Professor…

  • UK Space Agency funds raft of projects to boost UK space capabilities

    The body is launching a £2.7m fund for projects which are located across the UK in a bid to bolster the UK’s growing satellite launch sector. The UK is currently on track to become the first country in Europe to offer commercial launch services to small satellite manufacturers, from a range of spaceports offering both horizontal and vertical rocket launch capabilities. The funding from UKSA’s new Launch UK Technology Investment Programme will support teams from industry and universities to develop technology, products and services that will enhance the UK spaceflight supply chain and improve its international competitiveness. Start-up Magdrive will receive £250,000 to further development on its Magdrive kick-stage for launch, which will allow satellites launched from the UK to reach higher…

  • Martian dust devil sounds captured by Perseverance rover

    The Perseverance rover happened to have its microphone on when the dust devil - with its 25mph winds speeds - passed over it. Scientists have long had evidence of the existence of dust devils on Mars, as they have been photographed for years. However, this 10-second audio clip is the first time that humans have been able to hear what they sound like.  The clip is evidence of an average-range dust wind, at least 400 feet tall and 80 feet across and travelling at five metres per second. The microphone picked up 308 dust pings as the dust devil whipped by.  According to the research team, the Martian dust devil sounds similar to those occurring on Earth, although it is quieter since Mars’ thin atmosphere makes for more muted sounds and less forceful wind. The researcher's findings regarding…

  • New boilers could be required to be ‘hydrogen-ready’ from 2026

    The proposal is part of a set of initiatives aimed at helping households save on energy bills by cutting the use of expensive fossil fuels. The consultation was published alongside a £25m funding pledge to speed up the deployment of technology that makes hydrogen using bioenergy – such as burning wood pellets – and with the carbon dioxide that is generated captured and permanently stored. The government said the technology would be carbon-negative, as the plants used for energy would absorb carbon as they grow, and then it would be permanently removed from the atmosphere through storage. In addition to the requirement to make all new boilers 'hydrogen-ready', the consultation also proposes setting higher efficiency standards for new gas boilers.  The initiative comes alongside a £102m…

  • Nasa launches water monitoring satellite to provide greater climate insights

    Nearly 20 years in development, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite promises to provide a thorough accounting of water over much of the Earth’s surface. SWOT's measurements of fresh water and the ocean could help researchers to address climate issues and help communities prepare for a warming world. The data will be compiled from radar sweeps of the Earth that will take place at least twice every 21 days and which could help to bolster weather and climate forecasts. The satellite makes use of a scientific instrument called the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) which has been in development for years. The instrument has been designed to capture very precise measurements of the height of water in Earth’s freshwater bodies and the ocean. KaRIn will measure the height…

  • US solar installations stall due to trade struggle with China

    According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which was signed into law by President Biden in December last year, is reducing solar installation forecasts in the near term and delaying the impact of the US’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The flagship IRA, which was passed by the US senate over the summer, makes the largest investment in carbon emissions reduction in the country’s history. The bill allocates $369bn (£302bn) to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in renewable energy sources as part of efforts to reduce America’s planet-heating emissions by about 40 per cent by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. In the third quarter of 2022, the US added 4.6 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity, a 17 per cent decrease…

  • Demand for EVs falls as cost-of-living rises

    Electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for fewer than a fifth (19 per cent) of new car inquiries sent to retailers through its online marketplace last month, down from 27 per cent in June 2022, when petrol reached almost £2 a litre.  Auto Trader also reported that the number of searches and advert views for used cars has fallen by 13 per cent in the past 12 months. The company's Road to 2030 Report showed the first year-on-year decline in demand for EVs since April 2020, shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Some of the causes of this change in trends have been attributed to changes in government policy.  In his Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that new zero-emission cars will no longer be exempt from vehicle excise duty from April 2025, which was reportedly…

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