• Sponsored: Space-Comm Expo sets to revolutionise the commercial space sector

    The next generation of the commercial space industry Space-Comm Expo will demonstrate the technologies, partners and policy required and showcase the manufacturing supply chain for products, services and solutions available to support commercial enterprises and developments in space. Positioned at the forefront of the space industry, Space-Comm Expo is supported by ADS, KTN, UK Space Agency, ESA and UK Space. The event brings professionals and experts across the aerospace industry and wider ecosystem, such as agriculture, defence, fintech, mining and telecommunications, together to build long-lasting commercial and intellectual partnerships. Discussing the need for Space-Comm Expo, Nik Smith, Regional Director UK & Europe at Lockheed Martin said: “Having Space-Comm Expo now, at this time…

  • Surgery robot heading to ISS to test operations in space

    The tiny surgical robot is known as MIRA, short for ‘Miniaturised In vivo Robotic Assistant.” Its developers at Virtual Incision are currently configuring MIRA to fit inside a space station experiment locker, as well as exhaustively testing it to make sure it’s robust enough to survive a space launch and that its systems will continue to perform as anticipated in space. Once this has been completed, they will have to wait a year or so for the robot to get its turn aboard the station. In the future, Nasa hopes to launch a manned trip to Mars which will take about seven months to complete the 480-million  kilometre journey. Over that period, it is possible that astronauts could succumb to many debilitating health problems, especially considering the harsh space environment. Virtual Incision…

  • Catastrophic effects of climate change ‘dangerously underexplored’

    The authors of the study said the potential for climate change to lead to worldwide societal collapse or even human extinction is a “dangerously underexplored topic”. According to the authors, although the catastrophe has a small chance of occurring, given the uncertainties in future emissions and the climate system, we should not rule out cataclysmic scenarios. “Facing a future of accelerating climate change while blind to worst-case scenarios is naïve risk management and fatally foolish at worst,” the scientists said, adding that there were “ample reasons” to suspect global heating could cause an apocalyptic disaster. The international team of experts argues the world needs to prepare for the possibility of a “ climate endgame ”. “Analysing the mechanisms for these extreme consequences…

  • Public sector buildings to access £635m green energy fund

    From September, hundreds of public buildings across England will be able to join the £635m Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme recently presented by the government.  The funds will be used to install low-carbon heating such as heat pumps and energy efficiency measures including double glazing and loft insulation, which will aim to decrease soaring energy bills and improve the buildings' climate resilience amid more and more frequent extreme weather events, such as the heatwave that hit the UK earlier this summer.  The energy efficiency upgrades are expected to help public organisations and taxpayers save an average £650m a year on energy bills over the next 15 years, according to the Business Department (BEIS).  It is the second part of more than £1.4bn due to be allocated through the…

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  • 50 per cent cut in freshwater methane emissions possible, say researchers

    Lakes and other freshwater systems emit large quantities of methane, the second-most important greenhouse gas worldwide after CO2. Dredging and the use of Phoslock (a phosphate-binding clay particle) could reduce these lake emissions by over 50 per cent, according to a study by Radboud University researchers, published today in Science of The Total Environment. Methane largely originates in natural systems, with 49 per cent of all emissions coming from freshwater systems. Worldwide methane emissions also continue to increase as a result of global warming and eutrophication (an excess of nutrients in water). Radboud University researchers investigated whether reducing this eutrophication could help curb methane emissions. The study used a system of 16 testing ponds: some of the ponds were…

  • West London homebuilding on pause as electricity grid hits capacity

    Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said he was “very concerned” and had written to the government weeks ago requesting a meeting to discuss the issue. The government declined to meet with him. Khan said that electricity capacity constraints in the London boroughs of Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow were “creating a significant challenge for developers securing timely connections to the electricity network, which could affect the delivery of thousands of much-needed homes”. The Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents UK Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), said the increased demand for electricity capacity in the area was largely due to a rapid influx of batteries and data centres. These uses often place huge demands on the electricity supply compared to housing developments.…

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  • Smartphones could improve memory skills, study finds

    The research showed that digital devices help people to store and remember important information which frees up their memory to recall additional, less important things. Neuroscientists have previously expressed concerns that the overuse of technology could result in the breakdown of cognitive abilities and cause “digital dementia”. However, the findings show that using a digital device as external memory not only helps people to remember the information saved within the device, but it also helps them to remember unsaved information, too. To demonstrate this, researchers developed a memory task to be played on a touchscreen digital tablet or computer. The test was undertaken by 158 volunteers aged between 18 and 71. Participants were shown up to 12 numbered circles on the screen and…

  • Air pollution boosts cloud cover but reduces rain, study finds

    Aerosols are tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere which play a key role in the formation of clouds. With aerosols increasing due to human activities, numerous assessments by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have suggested they could have an important impact on climate change because clouds reflect sunlight and therefore keep temperatures cooler. However, the cooling impact of aerosols on clouds is difficult to measure which has led to significant uncertainty climate change projections. The University of Exeter study used data from the 2014 Icelandic volcano eruption to investigate the effect alongside satellite data and computer learning to study cloud cover and brightness. It also used 20 years of satellite cloud images from two different satellite platforms…

  • Hands-on review: Renpho Eye Massager With Heat and Music

    With so many of us now staring at a screen of one size or another pretty much all day - starting with the 9-5 work laptop before moving to a personal smartphone and tablet until bedtime - our eyes are doing a lot of heavy lifting. The eye has six muscles and all this screentime is giving them a real workout. Not to mention the wide-ranging environmental conditions in which our eyes have to exist, as well as a lack of sleep and other physical or medical ailments. No wonder they can feel fatigued. Looking into the solutions to help with tired eyes, we discovered a rich niche market exists to help with the problem. This Renpho model - Eye Massager With Heat and Bluetooth Music (to give its full title) - is in fact just one of half a dozen or so variations on the theme from the California/Shenzen…

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  • Brazil probes company that sold NFTs of Amazon rainforest land

    Brazil's Nemus has been given 15 days to provide proof of ownership of the land to which the NFTs are linked. The land is located in the Pauini, in the southern region of the rainforest, an area  which is the size of Belgium.   Federal prosecutors have accused the company – which claims to encourage eco-conscious customers to help preserve rainforest land − of pushing indigenous people in the region to endorse documents they could not understand.  The sale of the NFTs was reported to authorities by leaders of the Apurinã people, who traditionally occupy the claimed indigenous territory of Baixo Seruini/Baixo Tumiã, in the Amazon, as stated by a press release published by the prosecutor's office. The indigenous leaders claimed that Nemus' activities directly violated their rights, as stated…

  • Uncontrolled debris from Chinese rocket hits Earth

    China's space agency has said that most remains of the Long March 5 burnt in the atmosphere, identifying the Sulu Sea in the Pacific as the re-entry location.  The announcement did not detail whether the remains of the rocket fell on land or sea but it identified the “landing area” as 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 degrees north latitude, which equates to waters south-east of the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa, on the island of Palawan. The Long March 5B rocket was launched on Sunday, carrying Wentian ( ‘ Quest for the Heavens’) , the second of three modules that will make up China's new Tiangong space station, where   three astronauts are currently living. The 23-tonne lab module will be used for scientific experiments and it is the heaviest   single-module spacecraft currently…

  • UK cuts to fuel duty are less than most of Europe, RAC finds

    Prices at the pump have rocketed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but UK drivers are currently paying as much as 20p more per litre of petrol than drivers in France. Out of 13 EU countries that have cut petrol taxes, only Luxembourg has done less than the UK government, with a duty cut in April worth the equivalent of 4.52p compared to the 5p duty cut announced at the UK Budget in March. It’s a similar picture for diesel, with only Croatia doing less for its drivers than the UK, with a cut worth 4.5p. Germany, which sits at the top of the table, has taken the equivalent of 25p a litre in tax off per litre of petrol on 1 June, with Italy close behind with a 21p cut and Portugal with a 16p cut. As an alternative to cutting fuel duty, governments of other countries in the EU have introduced…

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  • Graphene foam imbues robots with human sense of touch

    The introduction of more accurate pressure sensors, which provide haptic feedback and distributed touch, will help robots to improve their dexterity and motor skills. “Over recent years the advancements in the robotics industry have been remarkable. However, due to a lack of sensory capabilities, robotic systems often fail to execute certain tasks easily. For robots to reach their full potential, accurate pressure sensors, capable of providing greater tactile ability, are required,” said professor Des Gibson, project principal investigator. Made from 3D graphene foam, which offers unique capabilities when put under mechanical stress, the sensors use a piezoresistive approach, meaning when the material is put under pressure it dynamically changes its electric resistance, easily detecting…

  • Nuclear fusion instabilities detected with simulation code

    The simulation code is able to calculate and predict changes in TAE instability to increase fast ion confinement and ensure the success of fusion reactions.  The TAE instability occurs in the course of interactions between fast ions and the perturbed magnetic fields surrounding them. As a result, fast ions disengage from the plasma core, hindering ion trapping.  In plasma particles, fast ions are much higher in kinetic energy than general ions and increase the temperature and performance of plasma necessary for nuclear fusion. Therefore, stable fast ion trapping is essential in maintaining a nuclear fusion reaction. The team at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) was able to develop the code by using and improving upon the  Gyro Kinetic Plasma Simulation Program (gKPSP) nuclear…

  • View from India: Reverence takes on a green hue

    The Government of Karnataka (GoK) has allocated 25 crore towards waste management initiatives in the temples, which are places of worship for Hindus. It’s a circular economy approach. Karnataka, as recent media reports indicate, will be the first state to roll out the concept on a mega scale. In Karnataka, 34,000 temples come under Muzrai (Endowment) department. They have been categorized as grade A, B and C, based on their revenue generation. The A-grade temples have an annual income exceeding 25 lakh. The B category is represented by temples earning between 5 lakh and 25 lakh, while C category has temples with an annual income of less than 5 lakh. The initiative comes under the Swachh Mandira Abhiyana gamut. Waste-processing plants will be set up inside temple premises to convert 'nairmalya…

  • Severe disruption to rail services as drivers continue strike action

    The Rail Delivery Group said the industrial action has been timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the start of the new season for most English football league clubs. There will be disruption to parts of the rail network on Saturday and into the morning of Sunday. The strike is hitting Arriva Rail London, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains. Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We’re really disappointed that the Aslef leadership has decided to impose yet more uncertainty and disruption for passengers and businesses in a week which has already seen a strike by the RMT. “Millions of passengers will have their weekend plans disrupted, particularly those who are working, or going to the Commonwealth…

  • The road to smart homes starts with smart EV charging

    It is no longer enough to simply have an electric vehicle (EV) charger installed on your home – it must be smart. New government legislation  states that new EV charging points in all UK domestic and work properties must have smart functionality to reduce pressure on the grid and use renewable sources where possible. Add this to every new build needing a charging point included as standard, and that’s hundreds of thousands of smart charging stations on the horizon. With transport responsible for the largest percentage of emissions in the UK . and homes due to overtake this in the next 10 years, revolutionising sectoral relationships with energy is both the greatest challenge and opportunity in the journey to net zero. To meet sustainability targets, homes of the future are needed now, and…

  • £3m tree-planting package for London announced to combat climate change

    Khan’s announcement comes after a huge number of fires raged across the capital last week caused by the record high temperatures, prompting London Fire Brigade (LFB) to declare a major incident. “The extreme temperatures and fires that raged across the capital last week laid bare how vulnerable London is to the effects of climate change, which is why today I’ve pledged a further £3.1m for a mass tree-planting package to help limit the affects of the climate emergency and the ecological crisis,” Khan said. He added: “These additional street trees and improvements to green spaces are targeted in areas where they’re most needed and will improve resilience of neighbourhoods in our city.” London remains at immediate risk of wildfires because of tinder dry grass, with the LFB warning that any…

  • UK households facing ‘most expensive winter in history’

    The £400 payment, which is part of a package announced in May this year, will come in the form of a monthly deduction from bills over six months for approximately 29 million households. Customers will see £66 taken off their energy bills in October and November and £67 each month from December to March, the Government said. However, one energy company boss has said that households could burn through that money in just a few days. The news marks the first detail of how the Government will pay out the £400 support for all households, which the then chancellor Rishi Sunak first announced in May. Sunak also promised extra help for the poorest households.   That support came in response to predictions that energy bills will rise to £2,800 for the average household in October. Since May, however…

  • Nasa to switch rovers for helicopters in Mars sample recovery mission

    The Mars Sample Return Program is a proposed mission to collect rock and dust samples on Mars and return them to Earth. Such a mission, which includes contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA), would allow more extensive analysis than that allowed by onboard sensors. While initially planning to use rovers to collect the sample, which are more comprehensively tested, the Ingenuity helicopters were tested extensively on Mars last year as part of the Perseverance mission. As of 11 June 2022, Ingenuity has made 29 successful flights, repeatedly setting new records for highest speed and distance travelled during a single flight. “The conceptual design phase is when every facet of a mission plan gets put under a microscope,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science…

  • Jurassic marine world fossils unearthed in farmer’s field

    Discovered beneath a field grazed by an ancient breed of English Longhorn cattle, the roughly 183-million-year-old fossils are stunningly well preserved, as if they were frozen in time. Contained within three-dimensionally preserved limestone concretions, the remains of fish, ancient marine reptiles, squids, rare insects and more have been revealed for the first time by a team of palaeontologists.   The fossils come from an inland rock layer that was last exposed in the UK more than 100 years ago and represented a unique opportunity to collect fossils from a time when this part of the country was deep underwater. The newly found site is at Court Farm, Kings Stanley near Stroud, Gloucestershire, and was discovered by Sally and Neville Hollingworth, avid fossil collectors who recently uncovered…

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  • Inefficient building electrification risks prolonging fossil fuel use, study finds

    Direct fossil fuel consumption by buildings, burned in water heaters, furnaces (boilers), and other heating sources, accounts for nearly 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Switching to an electric system that powers heating through renewable energy sources, rather than coal, oil, and natural gas – the process known as building electrification or building decarbonisation – is a crucial step towards achieving global net-zero climate goals. However, most building decarbonisation models have not accounted for seasonal fluctuations in energy demand for heating or cooling. This makes it a challenge to predict what an eventual switch to cleaner, all-electric heating in buildings could mean for the nation’s electrical grid, especially during peaks in energy use. A new study by…

  • Stamp-sized ultrasound stickers can see inside the body

    Currently, ultrasound imaging requires bulky equipment available only in hospitals and doctor’s offices. The new devices stick to the skin and can provide continuous ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours. The researchers, who believe their devices could eventually be cheaply available in pharmacies, applied the stickers to volunteers and showed the devices produced live, high-resolution images of major blood vessels and deeper organs such as the heart, lungs and stomach. The stickers maintained a strong adhesion and captured changes in underlying organs as volunteers performed various activities, including sitting, standing, jogging and biking. The current design requires connecting the stickers to instruments that translate the reflected sound waves into images. The researchers…

  • Paper battery could power disposable electronics

    The researchers at Swiss materials science institute Empa said the battery also had minimal environmental impact due to the materials used. It is made of at least one cell measuring one centimetre squared and consisting of three inks printed onto a rectangular strip of paper. Sodium chloride (salt) is dispersed throughout the strip of paper and one of its shorter ends has been dipped in wax. An ink containing graphite flakes, which acts as the positive end of the battery (cathode), is printed onto one of the flat sides of the paper while an ink containing zinc powder, which acts as the negative end of the battery (anode), is printed onto the reverse side of the paper. Additionally, an ink containing graphite flakes and carbon black is printed on both sides of the paper, on top of the…