• Polluting water company bosses should face prison, says Environment Agency

    The Environment Agency's annual assessment has found an increase in polluting activities from most of England's water and sewage companies, with performance on pollution falling to its lowest level since 2013.  In light of the "appalling" situation, the regulator has called for the organisations' executives to face prison time if they oversee  serious and repeated pollution incidents, as enforcement action and court fines for breaching environmental laws have proved to be unable to improve environmental performance. In its report , the agency identifies 62 "serious pollution incidents" that occurred last year, up from 44 the year before, in what it describes as the worst performance on pollution seen in years. In its conclusions, t he agency rates four of the country’s nine water companies…

  • How to decarbonise cities using digital twins

    Two-thirds of the world’s people are expected to be living in cities by 2050, so urban planning for climate change is vital, both to mitigate extreme climate events and to realise a low-carbon future. At the forefront worldwide of deploying and using a digital twin model of their city is a small team in the Finnish capital Helsinki, led by architect and city planner Jarmo Suomisto. The Helsinki digital twin is in fact two models, a Reality model, and a Semantic City GML – short for Geography Markup Language, an international standard in mapping software. Simply put, the reality model is the pretty pictures – made up of two billion polygons, and the semantic model is the underlying brains, with data layers that can be labelled, interrogated, added to, and changed. At the beginning the models…

  • EU to cut down gas use in light of possible ‘sudden supply disruption’

    The European Commission is expected to ask member countries to reduce the bloc's demand for gas in light of the c ontinued fall in Russian supplies, according to a leaked draft.  The plan, due to be published on 20 July, will suggest countries provide financial incentives for companies to cut gas use, or switch to alternative fuels, and roll out information campaigns to nudge consumers to use less heating and cooling. In addition, the European Commission is also expected to ask countries to reduce the heating and cooling of public buildings and offices in light of a “likely deterioration of gas supply outlook”.  Over the past few months, gas supplies from Russia have declined in a “deliberate attempt to use energy as a political weapon,” the draft says, a situation that is currently driving…

  • Construction and manufacturing firms face severe recruitment challenges

    According to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), at least 78 per cent of firms in these sectors reported having “significant issues” recruiting new staff. The construction sector is facing the most severe recruitment challenges, with 83 per cent reporting difficulties. This is closely followed by production and manufacturing on 79 per cent, logistics on 79 per cent and hospitality on 78 per cent. In the face of rising business costs, less than a third of employers (28 per cent) have increased their investment in the last three months. Smaller firms are even less likely to report an increase, at just 19 per cent. The BCC called for “urgent reform” of the Shortage Occupations List (SOL) so that more people and job roles are covered. The SOL comprises roles deemed by the UK government…

  • Back Story: Kristin Lewis, ‘It’s really important to just be myself’

    Shini Somara: When did you realise that a career in engineering could be for you? Kristin Lewis: Maths has always been my strongest subject. I love it and have always really enjoyed physics and design engineering too. Together they are a good mix of subjects and when it came to choosing courses at university, engineering seemed like a great fit to my interests. I hope to study mechanical engineering because I enjoy knowing how things work. It’s crazy to think that a couple of years ago I had no idea what engineering was. My only appreciation of engineering was through TV shows, such as ‘Grand Designs’ and ‘The Big Fix’. What I especially enjoyed about ‘The Big Fix’ was the challenge of building something useful that really helped people and would have a significant effect on improving the…

  • Why the UK and EU must come together on R&D to save the world

    In an opinion article for the Daily Telegraph published in June last year, Boris Johnson suggested that his government would restore the UK as a “science superpower”. Envisioning himself as a caped crusader with a bold B for Brexit branded on his chest, Johnson has continued over the last year in his attempts to push to restore the UK to its former scientific glory, bringing the ‘super’ back to UK science. In the same article, Johnson expressed how we are all “so deeply and so obviously indebted to science – and to scientists”. The comment was largely made in reference to the work of scientists throughout the Covid-19 crisis, and how they came to the rescue in our hour of need by navigating us through the pandemic and providing us with a vaccine. But the same goes for other critical areas…

  • The measure of: LXT88 superyacht concept

    According to Naval Yachts, the concept is based on two innovative elements that stand out from its segmented competitors: speed and dynamism. The designers plan to build the yacht in aluminium to ensure lightweight construction and faster speeds. They have carefully integrated aerodynamic engineering into the design to ensure the yacht maintains its performance while under way, with a top speed of 42 knots. Image credit: Cover Images One of the most distinctive features of the superyacht is a forward jacuzzi where guests can soak up the views on board. “It makes a great chill-out spot,” said Baris Dinc, co-owner of Naval Yachts. “It’s great to have a pool, even a small one, on board a yacht of this length.” The yacht offers accommodation in three cabins, with…

  • View from India: ISF facility boosts scientific and cultural landscape

    To put things in perspective, when Infosys turned 25 years old in 2006, its founder, Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy, began to think about contribution to science and engineering. Consequently, Murthy, along with some of the members of the Infosys Board, initiated ISF as a not-for-profit trust in 2009. ISF has instituted the Infosys Prize, an annual award, to honour outstanding achievements of researchers and scientists across six categories: Engineering and Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Humanities. The prize includes a 22-carat gold medal, a citation and a purse of US$100,000 (or its equivalent in Rupees). “As people interested in science, mathematics and engineering, we must think about how science, mathematics and engineering…

  • Complex thinking for a world of complexity

    On the cover, above the title ‘The Nexus’, there is a two-line slogan that reads: ‘Augmented thinking for a complex world.’ Below, there is a sub-title of similar length, positioning the book as an invitation into the arena of “the new convergence of art, technology, and science”. ‘The Nexus’ looks and feels more like a manifesto than a straightforward analysis of the locus where everything in the modern world meets. That’s part of the point, for ‘The Nexus’ is more than a book: it’s a literary artefact that brings together art and design, photography and typesetting, philosophy and history. To be fair, its author Julio Ottino and his visual collaborator Bruce Mau have warned us: “Today’s complex problems demand a radically new way of thinking.” There is no single elevator pitch for ‘The…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Phobia sufferers could be cured with virtual-reality treatment

    The trial studied phobia patients using a headset and a smartphone app treatment programme which combined VR 360-degree video exposure therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Participants suffering from the specific fears flying, needles, heights, spiders and dogs, downloaded a fully self-guided smartphone app called 'oVRcome', which was paired with a headset to immerse participants in virtual environments to help treat their phobia. The results from the trial, just published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, showed a 75 per cent reduction in phobia symptoms after six weeks of the treatment programme. “The improvements they reported suggests there’s great potential for the use of VR and mobile phone apps as a means of self-guided treatment for people struggling…

  • A tale of two islands – what to do with too much energy?

    Remote and rugged, a refuge from modern life – the cultural myths surrounding islands and their inhabitants have a fierce hold over our imaginations. Reality is often more prosaic, but could we learn how communities on islands – awash with wind, sunshine, wave and tidal energy – are pioneering use of natural resources? As the global energy supply tightens and the world grows ever hotter, the need to muster clean energy becomes acute.  We look at creative approaches of two award-winning islands: Ærø in Denmark, and Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. You can literally feel the energy in the Orkney Islands – apart from the few days a year the wind doesn’t blow. From his home desk on a blustery Orkney Mainland (the principal island in the archipelago), Neil Kermode, managing director…

  • Boris Johnson's resignation puts Online Safety Bill on hold

    The Online Safety Bill, one of the landmark pieces of legislation of Boris Johnson's government, has been placed on hold until a new Prime Minister is in place. The bill was making its way through Parliament and was scheduled to be passed over the next few weeks. However, its approval will now be postponed until September at the earliest, when the Conservative Party is expected to elect a new leader to replace Boris Johnson in the role of UK Prime Minister.  Hailed as groundbreaking regulation of the tech sector, the Online Safety Bill would force social media and other user-generated content-based sites to remove illegal material from their platforms, with a particular emphasis on protecting children from harmful content. The bill would also ensure the largest content platforms – such…

  • The environmental impact of deep-sea mining

    Last April, engineers on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean held their breath as a 25-tonne mining tractor lay stranded on the silty ocean floor, more than 4km below the surface. On the 13 th and final trial dive of a world-first experiment, a robot had broken free of its tether and lay in some of the darkest waters on Earth. “I’m not superstitious,” Kris De Bruyne, engineer and project manager with Belgium’s Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), told a science conference examining the impact of deep-sea mining. “But I will never name a dive ‘thirteen’ again.” A remote underwater vehicle helped engineers regain control within days as independent scientists watched on. But the incident galvanised public resistance to mining the deep seas. Having lain undisturbed for millennia, the murky…

  • Tory leadership accused of ‘fantasy economics’ over EV tax

    Last week outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Commons Liaison Select Committee that it was “certainly the case that we will need a substitute for fuel duty”. However, he was forced to defend himself when Conservative MP and chair of the Transport Select Committee Huw Merriman accused No 10 of blocking the Treasury over the past three months from setting up a working body to investigate the issue.           No 10 would not comment on the allegations when approached by E&T. But Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told E&T that the delay was “typical of the fantasy economics that has been pedalled for the last two and a half years by Boris Johnson and has been reinforced by virtually all of the Tory leadership contenders”. “We are going to have a massive hole in the public finances due to…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Data regulator to probe employers' use of AI for recruitment

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a commitment to safeguard the information rights of the most vulnerable people, including regulatory work around children’s privacy and AI-driven discrimination. In ICO25, a three-year plan setting out the body’s regulatory approach and priorities, it says it wants to consider the impact the use AI in recruitment could be having on neurodiverse people or ethnic minorities who weren’t part of the testing for this software. It also says it wants to ensure that the use of algorithms is not disadvantaging people within the benefits system and that the privacy of children remained protected. Speaking at the launch of the plan, UK Information Commissioner John Edwards said: “My most important objective is to safeguard and empower people, by upholding…

  • Fusion energy might power the grid by 2030s, sector survey says

    Funding for commercial fusion projects has more than doubled in the last 12 months, according to a recently published report by the Fusion Industry Association, The Global Fusion Industry in 2022 . In the past year, fusion companies have raised more than $2.83bn (£2.39bn) in funding, an increase of 139 per cent from the 2021 report. This figure has taken all-time investment into the technology to a record $4.8bn (£4bn).  The increase is explained by the fact that eight new fusion companies have entered the market in the last 12 months, each raising over $200m (£169m) in total, a sign of the industry’s rapid growth and investor confidence. "The last 12 months will be seen as the turning point when it became clear that fusion would move out of the laboratories and into the marketplace,…

  • The eccentric engineer: Koehler’s genius design of the depressing carriage

    In the early days of September 1782, the largest action of the whole of the American War of Independence was about to start. Despite the battle of Yorktown, which sealed US independence, being nearly a year before, the war was not quite over, and this revolutionary battle would have a number of unique features. Firstly, not a single American was taking part, and secondly, it was happening not in the New World, but around Gibraltar in the Mediterranean. When the Revolutionary War broke out, the Americans had found themselves with some unexpected allies in the form of the ‘Bourbon Alliance’, a combination of French and Spanish powers whose interests had as much to do with containing the British as with freeing American colonists. So, with the fighting in America all but over, the biggest engagement…

  • Can car makers meet decarbonisation challenge ahead of schedule?

    Achieving net-zero emissions is a major challenge for process manufacturers across the board, but more so for those in the global automotive sector. This is largely due to their reliance on carbon-intensive processes and use of raw materials that may be difficult to extract or are only available in distant territories or regions of the world. Against the odds, however, some automotive manufacturers are succeeding in applying smart supply-chain thinking and advanced cost-modelling techniques to decarbonise their products and processes ahead of other industries. Among the key drivers in the push to decarbonise products and processes is growing stakeholder interest in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance, which has led most global car makers and Tier One OEMs to strengthen…

  • Teardown: Nike ISPA Link trainers

    Fashion is often charged alongside technology as one of the main culprits when it comes to burgeoning landfill and stuttering progress on recycling. Within fashion, trainers are seen as a particular problem. How that market’s big brands are looking to address growing criticism may contain interesting pointers for other markets. According to a recent edition of Channel 4’s ‘Dispatches’, the average Briton owns seven pairs of trainers, and of the 300 million shoes bought overall in the UK every year, about 90 per cent end up in landfill. Globally, 24 billion shoes are sold annually and trainers make up roughly a quarter. In environmental terms, all this translates into 1.4 per cent of carbon emissions, making footwear the world’s 17th biggest polluter by some estimates, ahead of aviation and…

  • Sponsored: The rise of digital transformation within industrial manufacturing

    Today, we are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution. Categorised by BCG “Industry 4.0 is a transformation that makes it possible to gather and analyse data across machines, enabling faster, more flexible, and more efficient processes to produce higher-quality goods at reduced costs.” This translates into truly automated, lights out environments where businesses can produce things at high-speed and on a massive scale. It is not just production, however, that’s driving transformation within industrial manufacturing, but efficiencies across the supply chain by harnessing technology to integrate different functions into the production process. Distributed IT in manufacturing environments Changes are far-reaching, affecting every aspect of the industrial process, and businesses must…

  • Astronomers detect ‘strange’ radio signal from faraway galaxy

    Astronomers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have detected a fast radio burst (FRB) coming from a distant galaxy that appears to be flashing with surprising regularity. These types of signals are usually short-lasting. However, this new signal persists for up to three seconds, about 1,000 times longer than the average FRB. Within this window, the MIT team detected bursts of radio waves that repeat every 0.2 seconds in a clear periodic pattern, similar to a beating heart. The new signal, labelled 'FRB 20191221A', is the longest-lasting FRB, with the clearest periodic pattern detected to date. The origin of the radio signal remains a mystery, although researchers have been able to trace it back to a galaxy located several billion light-years from Earth.  “There are not…

  • ‘The UK’s contribution to the global technology market is huge’: Jon Crowcroft

    Despite reeling under the effects of a stalled post-Covid rebound, post-Brexit uncertainty and the economic shocks of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, “the UK is in a really good place at the moment”, says Jon Crowcroft. This is “because we have this distinctive ability to do fundamental research”. More than that, says Crowcroft, who is professor of computer science at the University of Cambridge and co-founder of artificial intelligence company iKVA, “what we’re really good at in the UK is taking that research and actually going on to make the technology that’s based on the research”. Crowcroft is commenting on a statement from the UK’s Digital Economy Council claiming the UK tech industry is now valued at £1tn: “A milestone only achieved by China and the USA so far.” The headline has…

  • Book review: ‘The Metaverse And How It Will Revolutionize Everything’

    The metaverse has very quickly found itself a topic of discussion by the world’s most influential newspapers, companies and governments. Facebook attracted headlines and derision in November 2021 when it rebranded as Meta, an acknowledgement of the centrality of metaverse services in its future. The only problem is that the metaverse does not yet exist, and no one is quite agreed about what it is. Venture capitalist Matthew Ball has been influential in shaping what we expect from the metaverse. He posits in the first part of ‘The Metaverse And How it Will Revolutionize Everything’ (WW Norton, £22, ISBN 9781324092032) that the metaverse is the next phase of the internet. Or, to be more precise: “a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can be…

  • Five countries’ carbon emissions caused $6tn in global losses, study finds

    Scientists have been able to calculate the economic impact of individual countries' carbon emissions on the global economy, in what they say could become a "game-changer" for climate litigation. The research by US-based Dartmouth College estimates that the greenhouse gas emissions from only five countries between 1990 and 2014 resulted in global economic losses of up to $6tn (£5tn), with nations in the global south having been hit hardest. The study's conclusions, published in the journal Climatic Change , provide a basis for nations to make legal claims for economic losses tied to carbon emissions, according to the researchers. “Greenhouse gases emitted in one country cause warming in another, and that warming can depress economic growth,” said Justin Mankin , senior researcher of the…

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