• Back Story: Rebekah Reavell, ‘Follow what you want to do, even if it seems scary’

    Shini Somara: What did you study and why? Rebekah Reavell: Last year I finished my Motorsport Engineering Masters at Oxford Brookes. Before that I completed a Bachelors in mechanical engineering with automotive at Leeds. At my all-girls school, I was encouraged to study English and Economics A Levels because I enjoyed reading, but halfway through, I decided to change career direction and follow my passion for automotive racing. I still had to complete the A Levels I had chosen, but then went on to do a Foundation year in Engineering to get into university. During my teenage years, I had no clue what engineering was about. I thought engineers just built buildings and bridges, which did not interest me at all. Careers advisors suggested following the subjects we enjoyed. No girls from my…

  • Christmas STEM Challenge: Santa’s Aerosleigh

    Santa Claus has a big job on his hands. One calculation reckons that without his team of elves and herds of reindeer Santa would have to travel at half the speed of light to get to everyone. We reckon we can make the job easier with an Aerosleigh, which uses propellers rather than reindeer for propulsion. But there’s a big problem with sleighs: they work by sliding on ice or snow. And these days we have global warming: good for Rudolf but bad because it’s melting that ice and snow! So if the weather doesn’t give ice and snow, what can Santa Claus do? How can he get presents to all those good children at Christmas? Santa must get through! But we may have the solution: be an Aerosleigh where you take along your own ice, and put it underneath, between the sleigh and a smooth surface. …

  • ‘Amma’: a theatrical journey using virtual reality to tackle weighty issues

    ‘Amma’ is a hybrid theatrical-VR experience that aims to bring audiences on a journey to Bangladesh and back, following a woman’s recollections of the War of Independence. This war was fought in 1971 between West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and ended with the establishment of an independent Bangladesh. In many ways, women hold important roles in Bangladeshi society. Its two political dynasties are led by women and the growth of its economy is in no small part thanks to the millions of women who work in the garment industry. However, while researching the war in the run-up to its fiftieth anniversary, director Abdul Shayek noticed that there were few stories of ordinary women like his late mother, who migrated from Bangladesh to the UK when he was three years…

  • Hands-on review: MacMate wireless charging station

    Back in October, we reviewed the OneWorld 65 global multi-device charger , a plug that will happily deliver you reliable AC wall-socket power in practically any country on Earth. Now, here's a companion piece from OneAdaptr, the company behind both products. The MacMate dovetails perfectly with the OneWorld 65, but also makes for a fine standalone multi-device charger. If you already have the OneWorld 65, the addition of the MacMate extends its usefulness (OneAdaptr actually sells a bundle of both products, dubbed the 'MacMate Pro'), but the MacMate is a perfectly useful and desirable product by itself. Image credit: OneAdaptr Compatible with any Apple MacBook Air or MacBook Pro USB-C charger (30W, 35W, 61W, 67W, 87W, 96W or 140W), you plug the MacMate's cable…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Novel antenna design provides stepping stone towards 6G networks

    The surface of the antenna is composed of an artificial thin-sheet material with sub-wavelength thickness that can be changed by switching the meta-atoms on its surface between radiating and non-radiating states. This process is equivalent to turning on and off switches by controlling the electric current. This allows the surface of the antenna to achieve complicated radio wave manipulation through software control, including highly directed beams. “The concept provides an analytical approach to synthesise antennas with the desired radiation patterns for different specific uses by simply changing the antennas’ shape and structure,” said researcher Dr Wu Gengbo. The antenna relies on the successful combination of two research advances, namely amplitude-modulated (AM) leaky-wave antennas…

  • Soft robot demonstrates self-healing capabilities

    The research team has created SHeaLDS – self-healing light guides for dynamic sensing – which creates damage-resistant soft robots that can self-heal from cuts at room temperature without any external intervention. In order to ensure the self-healing process takes place correctly, the team developed a process that allowed the robot to identify when it has suffered damage.  To do this, researchers have pioneered a technique using fibre-optic sensors coupled with LED lights capable of detecting minute changes on the surface of the robot. These sensors are combined with a polyurethane urea elastomer that incorporates hydrogen bonds, for rapid healing, and disulfide exchanges, for strength. “Our lab is always trying to make robots more enduring and agile, so they operate longer with more…

  • Book interview: ‘There Are No Facts’ by Mark Shepard

    Way back in the 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche argued that truth was impossible and the best we could hope for was to work in the realm of interpretation. “There are no facts,” he declared at various times (with variant wordings) in his career, because for the German-Swiss philosopher at least, there was no such thing as ‘absolute truth’. Here in the 21st century, Mark Shepard has borrowed Nietzsche’s famous words for the title of his analysis of ‘attentive algorithms, extractive data and the quantification of everyday life’. It’s a provocative use of the quotation because we tend to think that our digital ecosystem based on zeros and ones must be ‘true’ to work properly. But you can see why it appealed to Shepard because, that same technology has accelerated the spread of information…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • EU should mandate electric freight trucks by 2035, say Unilever and Maersk

    In a joint letter to the EU Commission, the coalition writes that the deadline is “not just feasible but necessary” if the EU is to meet its climate neutrality commitments by 2050. The target would also help to provide investment certainty for vehicle manufacturers to increase their electric and green hydrogen offerings, the companies write. Major truckmakers have already announced that half of their sales will be zero emission by 2030, but binding rules are needed to ensure that investments and the ramp-up of supply happen on time. In October this year, electric vehicle specialists Tesla announced that it would start production on a fully electric lorry with a range of up to 500 miles. The firm first announced its intentions to produce such a vehicle in 2017 , although it has only…

  • EUMETSAT invests in new weather and climate satellites

    Europe’s meteorological satellite agency is looking to expand its low-Earth-orbiting fleet with new, complementary satellite systems.  In a meeting in Darmstadt, Germany, the EUMETSAT Council has authorised the start of a new preparatory phase for improved weather and climate satellite systems.  The €26.8m (£23.2m) investment is expected to allow engineering activities to continue on the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) Aeolus and EPS-Sterna missions, which aim to improve measurements of winds and atmospheric temperature and humidity, respectively. The two programmes will be reevaluated in two years' time, at which point the EUMETSAT Council will decide whether to continue funding the initiatives.  Aeolus mission concept / EUMETSAT Image credit: EUMETSAT “Our…

  • Cumbria coal mine gets government approval despite climate change fears

    The £165m project would see coking coal being extracted from the mine in order to be used in the production of steel, rather than electricity generation. First proposed in January 2021, the government initially decided not to intervene in local planning decisions despite the fact that the mine’s approval would be antithetical to the UK’s climate change targets. This controversial decision led to a strong backlash from environmental campaigners leading the government to put the project on pause while it reconsidered whether it would be allowed to go ahead or not. But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now confirmed that the project can continue, saying it was “satisfied that there is currently a UK and European market for the coal”. “The Secretary of…

  • Google required to delete ‘inaccurate’ data in Europe

    The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that users have the right to have search results about them deleted if the information they contain can be proven to be inaccurate.  The ruling relates to a German legal dispute brought by two investment managers who had asked Google to remove search results linking their names to certain articles criticising the group's investment model. According to the executives, the links contained false claims.  The investment managers also wanted Google to remove thumbnail photos of them from search results.  The company refused to comply, arguing that it was unaware whether the information contained in the articles was accurate or not. Subsequently, the Federal Supreme Court of Germany asked the Court of Justice of the EU to interpret…

  • Hands-on review: 1More Aero true wireless ANC earbuds

    As you may (or may not) have noticed, Apple and the music industry has been heavily promoting 'Spatial Audio' as a new approach for more immersive listening. It's linked to the metaverse, priming the pump, so to speak, for a time when it's hoped we're all roaming the virtual realm daily, preening with our suspiciously buff and attractive avatars, trying in vain to live our best life at least digitally in imaginary worlds. In those worlds, sound needs to come from all around us in order to feel even vaguely realistic. In the meantime, in the normal world (which, contrary to Meta's inferences and ambitions, will continue to exist in all its natural 360° surround-sound glory), listening to spatial audio today is one way to experience that Dolby Atmos cinematic experience in your head. The…

  • Glasgow named as the UK city with the most unequal broadband speeds

    According to Uswitch, Nottingham and Cardiff have the next biggest download rate divides, while Portsmouth, Wolverhampton and Bradford were the most equal. Edinburgh recorded the highest average speed of 840Mbps, closely followed by Glasgow and Nottingham. Just 1.2 miles separate the fastest and slowest areas in Brighton – where the city’s best connections are nearly 100 times speedier than the worst. Uswitch analysed 16,500 consumer speed tests to find that the highest average download speed measured in Glasgow was 840.4Mbps, logged in the Milton district. Yet just four miles away in the suburb of Bearsden, speeds as low as 0.97Mbps were recorded. This is less than a tenth of the 10Mbps download speed defined as the minimum required for a decent broadband connection as part of the…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Future transport photo gallery: Sea

    The Jet, the world’s first hydrogen-powered flying boat due to be built in Dubai next year, soars 3ft above the water, powered by two hydrogen fuel cells. Image credit: Cover Images Solar Express, a 427ft superyacht concept from Anthony Glasson of design studio M51, is covered tip to tail with solar panels for cleaner cruising. Image credit: Cover Images U-Boat Worx has updated the design of its three-person Super Sub, an ultra-luxury submersible with a depth rating of 300m and increased top speed of up to 10 knots. ...

  • Researchers produce material capable of absorbing 6G frequencies

    The technology is considered the developed the world’s first continuous manufacturing technology for millimetre wave-absorbing magnetic materials.  The material in question is epsilon iron oxide, known for its ability to absorb millimetre waves with a coercive force equivalent to that of neodymium (Nd) magnets. Epsilon iron oxide is also almost the only magnetic material that absorbs ultra-high frequencies (30 to 200GHz), which is a potential 6G frequency band. Until recently, this material could only be formed in particles of under 50 nanometres. A team in Japan did manage to produce pure epsilon iron oxide, but their technique is not considered practical, as it involves a time-consuming multi-stage process.  In contrast, the researchers at KIMS have been able to continuously manufacture…

  • Teardown: Apple Watch Ultra

    At £849 in the UK, the Apple Watch Ultra is a beast of a flagship product that packs in a lot of impressive engineering. Cupertino’s new timepiece has a titanium case, submerged dive computer functionality to a depth of 100m (with the software due to launch as this article went to press), dual-frequency GPS for precise location, and dedicated bands for whether you are a hiker, a runner or a diver. An action button makes it easy to, say, mark laps or other repeated sequences. Metrics in the activity programme are much more specific and greater in number. Battery life is 36 hours, enough for most ‘adventures’. And Watch Ultra has been manufactured to meet the MIL-STD 810H standard, meaning it should work in more extreme and hazardous conditions. If other smartwatches sit on your wrist as…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • San Francisco bans the use of ‘killer police robots’

    San Francisco supervisors have voted unanimously to reverse a previous decision to authorise police to use robots equipped with lethal weapons. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said it had no plans to arm the robots with guns but wanted the ability to equip robots with  explosive charges "to breach fortified structures containing violent, armed, or dangerous subjects". The policy instantly faced fierce criticism from civil liberties groups, with some saying arming robots was a step too close to something one would see in a dystopian science-fiction movie. Dr Catherine Connolly, from the group Stop Killer Robots, told the BBC the move was a "slippery slope" that could distance humans from killing.  Three of the city's supervisors were opposed to the motion from the start and…

  • Musk’s Neuralink investigated over the death of 1,500 animals

    The US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General is reportedly looking into possible animal welfare violations by Neuralink Corporation, according to Reuters . The company has been accused of causing needless suffering and deaths amid pressure from its CEO: billionaire and Twitter owner Elon Musk. Neuralink is a neurotechnology company that aims to create cranial computers to treat diseases and merge new advanced software abilities with the human brain. 

In addition to potentially treating brain diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s, the implanted device would also act as a sort of “digital layer” that merges human grey matter with advanced technological tools. To date, around 1,500 animals - including more than 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys - have died as a result of Neuralink…

  • UK set to reverse de-facto ban on onshore wind farms

    In 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron cut support for onshore wind farms after pressure from Conservative MPs who worried about the impact of wind turbines damage on rural communities. In her brief tenure as Prime Minister in September this year, Liz Truss promised to bring onshore wind, as well as fracking, back to the UK. But Rishi Sunak swiftly reversed these decisions as soon as he came into office. Facing a rebellion from Tory backbenchers, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has now confirmed a consultation looking at how new onshore wind facilities could begin construction again as long as there is sufficient support from the local community. Planning matters are devolved, so a change in the rules would apply only in England. With energy costs rising to all…

  • Government urged to tackle £1.5bn engineering skills shortage via education

    The IET’s new 'Engineering Kids’ Futures' (EKF) report leads with a series of recommendations to the UK government to embed engineering and technology within primary and secondary learning. The report also carries signatories from the likes of Major Tim Peake, Carol Vorderman MBE, will.i.am, and representatives from Rolls Royce, Vodafone and the MOD. It is estimated there is a shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector: an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK, which is costing the economy a shocking £1.5bn per annum, according to STEM Learning data. Furthermore, 49 per cent of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties in the skills available to them when trying to recruit, as revealed by the IET Skills Survey in 2021. Report recommendations include: …

  • US to double UK-bound gas exports to ease transition away from Russian supplies

    The move is aimed at reducing the global dependence on Russian energy exports by stabilising energy markets. In addition to energy efficiency, bolstering nuclear and renewables will also be part of the new agreement as well as expediting the development of clean hydrogen globally. The initiative will be steered by a new UK-US Joint Action Group, led by senior officials from the UK government and the White House. “Together the UK and US will ensure the global price of energy and the security of our national supply can never again be manipulated by the whims of a failing regime,” said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “We have the natural resources, industry and innovative thinking we need to create a better, freer system and accelerate the clean energy transition. This partnership will bring…

  • The measure of: the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera

    Standing at 1.65m tall, the LSST Camera was unveiled at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California in October and will help astronomers study billions of galaxies. Seven years in the making, the camera weighs up to three tonnes and features a 3,200-megapixel sensor, powerful enough to spot a golf ball 15 miles away, according to its developers. At the end of 2024, its developers will install the camera at the Vera C Rubin Observatory at the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile. In its home in the Andes mountains, it will catalogue about 20 billion galaxies over the next 10 years as part of a project called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Image credit: Cover Images The dozens of terabytes of data that the LSST Camera will collect every night will…

  • Hands-on review: Joby Beamo Ring Light for MagSafe

    The ecosphere of MagSafe products extends to practically everything now. If a way can be found to stick something on the back of your phone, you can bet that someone has come up with it, be it wallet, camera controller , tripod or kickstand-bottle opener . With Beamo, camera/smartphone accessory company Joby has created a portable LED ring light to softly illuminate whatever is in front of your phone. Facing backwards as it does – i.e. towards your face – and with a built-in mirror so you can make sure your look is always on point before you even start, this is clearly a tool primarily aimed at the vlogging influencer and the best-selfie addict, that rich vein of portrait photography in the modern age. However, saying that, the light can also be flipped around to project its rays outwards…

  • Future transport photo gallery: Land

    Swedish transport company Einride has recently been given the green light to operate its Einride range of autonomous electric pods on US public roads. Image credit: Cover Images The circular interior design of the Agora E electric vehicle from Andrea Ponti Studio aims to encourage social interaction between up to ten passengers. Image credit: Cover Images Designed by Moscow-based Roman Dolzhenko and Dmitry Voronezhtsev, the Atlantis autonomous truck is imagined with long-distance highway transportation in mind. ...

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