• Wind power saves UK consumers more than £100bn on energy bills since 2010, study finds

    The UK’s investment in wind power has led to far greater financial benefits for consumers than if the country had stuck with fossil fuels, according to a new study. Researchers at University College London have conducted a study highlighting the longer-term financial benefits wind power has brought to UK consumers, compared with a scenario where the country kept investing in gas instead. The results show that, from 2010 to 2023, wind power delivered a net benefit of £104.3bn to UK consumers – £14.2bn from lower electricity prices and £133.3bn from reduced natural gas prices, partially offset by £43.2bn in government-backed price guarantees. UK wind energy production has escalated significantly since 2010. Then, more than 75% of electricity was generated from fossil fuels. Today, coal…

  • OpenAI reveals data on ChatGPT users showing signs of crisis or suicidal intent

    OpenAI’s conversational AI chatbot ChatGPT has weekly conversations with over one million people exhibiting suicidal thoughts, according to company data. Based on this data, around 0.07% of ChatGPT users active in a given week exhibited possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania. Additionally, around 0.15% of users active in a given week have conversations that include explicit indicators of potential suicidal planning or intent. The use of ChatGPT has exploded in recent years. First released for public use in late 2022, the chatbot quickly garnered attention for its detailed responses and articulate answers across many domains of knowledge. Today its weekly active users are estimated to be around 800 million. So while the percentages above are tiny, considering…

  • India’s cities are sinking as groundwater overuse weakens foundations

    Many of India’s largest cities are sitting on increasingly unstable land that threatens the structural integrity of thousands of buildings and the millions of people who occupy them. Virginia Tech scientists have carried out a study into the country’s groundwater overuse, which is an increasing problem. Unsustainable extraction is often driven by factors such as subsidised electricity for farmers, and results in aquifers being depleted faster than they can be recharged. In 2023, the state of Rajasthan, home to major cities such as Jaipur and Jodhpur, consumed as much as 149% of its annual groundwater recharge – in other words, for every litre of groundwater recharged through rainfall, nearly 1.5 litres of water were extracted. “When cities pump more water from aquifers than nature can…

  • Chip shortages could threaten US and European car production amid China tensions

    US and European automotive supply chains are at risk of chip shortages due to tensions with China-owned chipmaker Nexperia, warn industry lobby groups. The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (Mema), the largest vehicle supplier association in the US, has said that the car industry’s supply of crucial chips from Nexperia could run dry amid ongoing geopolitical tension between China and the Netherlands. Mema predicts that US auto plants are two to four weeks away from “significant impacts” on vehicle production if no solution is found quickly. Founded in 2017, Nexperia, once part of Dutch electronics group Philips, is headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, but it is 100%-owned by China’s Wingtech Technology. Nexperia produces legacy or older generation logic chips crucial…

  • Ultra-HD TVs often exceed what the human eye can perceive, study reveals

    Consumers are often getting very few additional visual benefits from buying ultra-HD TVs for their living rooms, scientists at the University of Cambridge and Meta have said. The human eye naturally has a resolution limit beyond which a higher resolution screen offers no discernible benefits. Typically, the distance from the screen determines whether having a higher pixel density is worthwhile or not. While consumers are often bombarded with technical information from manufacturers when buying a new TV – such as whether full HD, 4K or 8K offers them the best viewing experience – the latest study finds that the improved specs often do not yield the claimed benefits. To calculate the resolution limit, the researchers measured participants’ ability to detect specific features in colour and…

  • Japan launches advanced cargo spacecraft to resupply ISS

    Japan’s new HTV-X cargo spacecraft has successfully blasted off on its first-ever mission to the International Space Station (ISS). HTV-X, also known as the New Space Station Resupply Vehicle, is an uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). The HTV-X1 is the first demonstration mission of the HTV-X, which launched into space atop the H3 launch vehicle from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on 26 October 2025. Jaxa reported that the launch went as planned, with HTV-X1 separating from the launch vehicle approximately 14 minutes after lift off. Talking to reporters, Jaxa president Hiroshi Yamakawa called the launch “a major step forward” that demonstrated Japan’s capability of delivering supplies to space, which serves as “the basis of autonomous…

  • Delhi to use cloud seeding to induce rain in bid to combat choking smog

    India is set to deploy the country’s first cloud seeding project in a bid to wash away pollution in Delhi, the world’s most polluted city. The Delhi government has announced that the city’s first cloud seeding flight trial has been successfully conducted ahead of a full-scale deployment on 29 October 2025, weather permitting. Rekha Gupta, chief minister of Delhi, said in a statement that the city is “ready to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding for the first time in its history”. She added that this “ambitious pollution-control experiment” represents a major technological milestone to combat Delhi’s worsening air quality. Delhi is ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world. In November 2021, schools were closed indefinitely and some coal-based power plants shut…

  • UK’s airport expansion plans ‘inconsistent with climate goals’, MPs say

    The recent raft of airport expansion plans is inconsistent with the UK’s climate change goals and puts the delivery of net zero carbon in “serious jeopardy”, MPs on the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee have said. After coming into office last year, Labour approved a raft of airport projects – most prominently the controversial third runway at Heathrow Airport. Since then, Gatwick airport has also been given permission to build a second, £2.2bn runway, which will increase its flight capacity by around 100,000 a year, and Stansted airport was given the green light for a £1.1bn expansion of its terminal. The committee’s inquiry found that government policies are insufficient to deliver a reduction in carbon emissions from the aviation sector in line with carbon budgets. A further…

  • Nissan tests extendable solar roof to cut EVs’ reliance on plug-in charging

    Nissan has unveiled an electric car with an extendable solar roof that allows it recharge on the road without plugging in. Named the Ao-Solar Extender, the system has been installed on Japan’s top-selling EV – the Nissan Sakura – and can generate enough solar electricity in a year to power up to 2,900km of driving. The roof-mounted panel can charge the vehicle both while driving and when parked, but when stationary it extends to get more sun coverage and improve charging speeds. When extended, the power generation potential increases to approximately 500W while also creating shade that helps keep the interior cool. In its retracted state, the panel can generate about 300W in ideal conditions, or 80W during the darkest, rainiest days. Based on the size of the battery and the panel’s output…

  • Tiny pupil-sized screen delivers ‘breakthrough’ in resolution and clarity

    Researchers have developed a retina e-paper that uses tiny pixels to produce a display indistinguishable from reality. A team across three Swedish universities – Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University – has created a tiny, pupil-sized screen with an ultra-high display of over 25,000 pixels per inch. They say this represents the smallest amount of pixels ever achieved on a screen that the human eye can perceive, which could offer a breakthrough for virtual or augmented reality applications. The current issue with such applications is that as the screen moves closer to the eye, the pixels that comprise it need to get smaller and smaller. However, currently pixels cannot be made small enough. For example, on a micro-LED screen, pixels can…

  • Turbine design aims to capture train tunnel winds for clean power

    Researchers are attempting to harness the extreme winds found in railway tunnels for use in renewable energy facilities. A team from the University of Manchester are designing vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) that capture airflow generated by trains moving through tunnels – known as the piston effect. With standard overground trains, airflow typically reaches speeds of around 36–72km/h as the train passes. But with high-speed rail such as the Eurostar or France’s TGV, where trains travel at 250–320km/h, wind speeds can reach up to 180km/h. The project, which begins with the Transpennine Route Upgrade project, will explore how this untapped energy source can be integrated into transport infrastructure, providing clean electricity and supporting the UK’s decarbonisation goals. Because…

  • Airbus, Leonardo and Thales merge space divisions to form European rival to SpaceX

    Airbus, Leonardo and Thales are combining forces to form a new major European player in the space sector designed to compete with the likes of SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing. The unnamed new company, which is expected to begin operations in 2027, plans to pool technological expertise around space infrastructure in order to improve its ability to compete against well-funded American rivals. The combined entity estimates it will eventually employ around 25,000 people across Europe with an annual turnover of about €6.5bn based on the existing space activities of the three firms. Ownership of the new company will be shared among the parent companies, with Airbus, Leonardo and Thales owning respectively 35%, 32.5% and 32.5% stakes. While Airbus currently has the biggest standalone presence…

  • Eurostar unveils €2bn double-decker trains in major expansion push

    Eurostar has finalised a €2bn (£1.7bn) deal to introduce double-decker trains on its Channel Tunnel service. The new trains, built by Alstom Group, are expected to be delivered by 2031 and will form part of the service’s expansion to Frankfurt and Geneva. Eurostar, which has dubbed the new fleet Celestia, has confirmed an initial order for 30 trains with an option for a further 20 if required. In addition to the new destinations, the 200-metre trains will be interoperable across all five countries already served today. Seat capacity will increase by 20% on each new train, subject to final design specifications. It is expected that each 200-metre set will have around 540 seats. If running in 400m formation (as through the Channel Tunnel today), there would be around 1,080 seats per service…

  • Interview: How a father’s bedtime idea reinvented ice cream

    CEO and founder of freeze-on-demand ice cream company ColdSnap Matt Fonte explains how his breakthrough invention started at story time with his kids. When you meet Matt Fonte face-to-face, you get the feeling that he’s used to being one of the most popular people on the technology conference circuit. While it’s tempting to think that his accolade might be based on the US mechanical engineer’s record as a serial entrepreneur and inventor, his holding multiple patents or the long-standing dedication to engineering in both academic and commercial circles, the real reason is far simpler and more obvious: people flock to his talks because he gives away free ice cream samples. But Fonte isn’t dishing out chilled refreshments because he’s a nice guy. The CEO and president of Massachusetts-based…

  • 3D-printed antennae pave the way for wearable and flexible wireless tech

    3D‑printed flexible antenna arrays could power wearable wireless devices and improve communications across various applications, according to a new study. Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have developed the antennae and a chip-sized processor using 3D printing techniques with ink made from copper nanoparticles. This ink, developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Maryland and Boeing, allows the antennae to remain stable when bent or exposed to high humidity, temperature variations or salt. The processor chip corrects errant signals from the antennae in real time, enhancing the performance and electronic communications of the flexible wireless system. Sreeni Poolakkal, co-first author and PhD student at WSU, said: “This proof-of-concept prototype…

  • Industry insight: Cycling teams turn to aerodynamic modelling for a competitive edge

    This article has been provided by Thierry Marchal, industry program director at Ansys Elite sport has always been a proving ground for science. From nutrition to biomechanics and safety, advances in research have consistently translated into marginal gains for athletes. Increasingly, though, the margins are no longer marginal. High fidelity simulation, the same tools once reserved for aerospace and automotive engineering, is emerging as a decisive factor in performance. Cycling offers the clearest example. A recent study, led by Prof Bert Blocken at Heriot-Watt University, found that professional teams can cut aerodynamic drag on their protected rider by up to 76% through alternative formations. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validated with wind tunnel testing, the researchers…

  • Underwater system that converts wave energy into electricity completes dry tests

    A Dutch energy firm has successfully completed dry tests of its underwater wave energy converter, ready for deployment in the North Sea in 2026. Clean-tech start-up Symphony Wave Power is developing wave energy converter (WEC) technology that harnesses the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity. The company is currently in the early commercial phase, having recently completed dry testing of its WEC on land in Gemeente Velsen, the Netherlands. These tests helped validate its design and performance before moving to real-world ocean deployment in 2026. The company describes its technology as being based on point absorbing theory, in which a large amount of energy can be harvested from relatively small devices. Positioned beneath the surface of the waves at a depth of at least 20…

  • Brazil issues oil drilling licence near the Amazon weeks before hosting COP30 conference

    The Brazilian government has approved a licence for Petrobras to begin drilling for oil near the mouth of the Amazon rainforest, sparking cries of hypocrisy from environmental campaigners. On Monday, the administration led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gave the state-owned oil firm the go-ahead to begin exploratory works in deep waters off Amapá, 500km from the mouth of the Amazon River and 175km from the coast. The drill rig is already at the well site, and drilling is expected to start immediately and last for around five months. Through this exploratory activity, the company aims to gather additional geological data and assess whether there is oil and gas in the area at an economic scale – there will be no oil production at this stage. With the Brazilian city of Belém gearing…

  • MPs question resilience of UK banking systems after AWS failure hits Lloyds and Halifax

    MPs have expressed concern that key parts of the UK’s digital infrastructure is hosted on servers abroad, following the widespread outage affecting Amazon Web Services (AWS) that took various banking websites offline. The incident affected multiple UK banks, including Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, alongside a raft of other services such as Reddit, Snapchat and Wordle. These three banks, which are part of Lloyds Banking Group, were able to bring their services back online after several hours of frustration from users. However, the outage has led MPs to question whether the UK is over-reliant on foreign data services, with many of the AWS servers located in the US. AWS eventually issued a statement to say that while the issue that caused the outage had been fixed, ongoing issues may…

  • Australia and US sign $8.5bn critical minerals deal to challenge China’s dominance

    Australia and the US have signed an $8.5bn deal that will see Australia supplying the US with critical minerals amid China’s clampdown on rare-earth exports. US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the critical minerals deal at the White House. The deal will see each country provide at least $1bn towards a $8.5bn pipeline of projects in both the US and Australia over the next six months. Australia has rich rare-earth resources critical to the AI and tech sectors, as well as the renewables and defence industries. China has long been the dominant player in the rare earths market, accounting for around 70% of global mining production and over 90% of global rare earths processing. While the critical elements can be found outside of China, decades…

  • Looming water scarcity could threaten the UK’s 2050 net zero ambitions

    The water needed for the UK’s decarbonisation infrastructure, including hydrogen and carbon capture, is likely to exceed the amount available, according to new research. The report, commissioned by national water retailer Wave in collaboration with Durham University, looked at decarbonisation activities across England’s five largest industrial clusters – Humberside, North West England, Tees Valley, the Solent and the Black Country. It then analysed the impact that these activities would have on water resources in those areas. It found that the high-water requirements for decarbonisation projects – such as blue and green hydrogen production and carbon capture – would mean that water scarcity is likely to pose a significant risk to both business growth and future decarbonisation efforts in…

  • Landmark UK fusion experiment uses 3D coils to tame unstable plasma

    The UK’s experimental fusion energy facility has deployed 3D magnetic coils that have been shown to stabilise the key reaction needed to make fusion power a commercial reality. Scientists at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) conducted the experiment at the MAST Upgrade, located at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire. In fusion energy research, plasma – superheated gas containing charged particles – needs to be controlled very precisely, as it can become unstable and escape the magnetic fields that contain it. The 3D magnetic coils help to keep the plasma stable in a way that traditional 2D magnetic fields cannot. The team believes that the innovation could make it easier to achieve sustained controlled nuclear fusion – a potential source of clean energy – and is a…

  • Mid-flight collision may mark the first time a plane has been hit by falling space junk

    A United Airlines flight has faced a mid-air collision with a falling object that is speculated to be a piece of space junk. While unconfirmed, the incident would be the first time that a piece of debris entering the Earth’s atmosphere from space has hit a plane mid-flight. No one aboard the 737 Max flight from Denver to Los Angeles faced any major injuries, although it was forced to reroute and landed safely at Salt Lake City International Airport. Unconfirmed pictures on X show a dent in the right front windscreen and some scorch marks on the pilot’s arm. On X, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had taken the windscreen for a laboratory analysis and was looking at the radar, weather and flight recorder data. Photo NOT confirmedHearing there were scorch-marks,…

  • Government announces V-levels to simplify vocational qualifications for 16-19-year-olds

    V-levels, a new vocational qualification, will be introduced by the Department for Education for 16-19-year-olds to simplify a “fragmented” post-GCSE education. The qualification, detailed in a new government white paper, will replace approximately 900 vocational-linked courses currently on offer, such as Level 3 BTECs and other post-16 technical qualifications. The large number of courses can be overwhelming for students, with many overlapping. The new V-levels aim to simplify options for students. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the new courses would streamline a “fragmented” and “confusing” system for young people, while giving them a "vocational route into great careers”. According to the government, the reason for the introduction of V-levels is to help address a long…

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