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From the archives: remembering Concorde and flood prevention in action in India

Hyderabad’s first flood prevention system 115 years ago The first warning came at 2am on 28 September 1908. Musi, the river that flows through the ancient Indian city of Hyderabad, was rising dangerously. In just 48 hours, local stations recorded 18.9in of rainfall. One after the other, the city’s irrigation water tanks gave way as the river rose 60ft and flowed through the streets, leaving destruction in its wake. Once the water retreated, 50,000 houses, four bridges and a hospital were gone, and more than 15,000 people had drowned or been washed away. When the rain stopped, Hyderabad began to rebuild. The authorities enlisted the help of famed engineer Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, known as Sir MV, to oversee the works. Sir MV concluded that the best way to prevent floods would be…

E+T Magazine
Who deserves a Royal Honour for services to engineering?

Engineering professionals positively impact the lives of the general public every single day, however, due to a lack of awareness, much of this is taken for granted. Whether we’re admiring a great architectural feat, bypassing the stairs to reach the 15th floor of a building, or decreasing our carbon footprint thanks to clean energy innovations, we consumers absorb a wealth of engineering talent without having to give it too much thought. This is where the Royal Honours process comes into its own. Recipients of a Royal Honour not only enjoy individual prestige, they also shine a light on their employers and the merits of the wider industry in which they operate. So perhaps it’s time to think about nominating a colleague or peer for their outstanding achievements? What makes a nomination…

E+T Magazine
Encouraging women into engineering careers could tackle UK’s skills shortage

One programme aimed at sparking the interest of girls in key stage 4 (14 to 16 years old) and sixth-formers has concluded for 2023 and has doubled the take-up – there were 465 participants – from the previous year. The UK Electronic Skills Foundation’s (UKESF’s) Girls into Electronics programme, in collaboration with Apple, was conducted at many of the UK’s leading universities and involved participation from over 100 schools. The initiative is part of the UKESF’s wider work to address the skills shortage in the electronics sector, while also tackling the gender imbalance. Diversity drive Stewart Edmondson, CEO at UKESF, said: “We’re thrilled at the success of this year’s Girls into Electronics programme. To more than double the number of female students participating is an amazing achievement…

E+T Magazine
Efforts to eliminate deforestation by 2030 are moving too slowly, study finds

At the UN’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, 145 countries pledged to end the felling of forests by the end of the decade as this is responsible for about 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. But the study from a coalition of civil society and research organisations has found that not only are countries failing to meet the stated goal, but in some cases deforestation is continuing to worsen. “The world’s forests are in crisis. All these promises have been made to halt deforestation and fund forest protection. But the opportunity to make progress is passing us by year after year,” said Erin Matson, a lead author of the Forest Declaration Assessment. “We saw that in 2021 efforts to end deforestation were already lagging. 2022 was a chance to catch up, but leaders fell short once…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Nasa’s 46-year-old Voyager 1 receives cosmic software update

Voyager 1 was first launched in 1977 on a path that eventually led both it and its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2, outside the solar system altogether. But in recent years, Nasa said that fuel residue has been accumulating inside narrow tubes in some of the thrusters on both spacecraft. Voyager 1 has also faced problems with sending junk data back home after it suddenly began routing its telemetry data through a derelict onboard computer for unknown reasons. The thrusters on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are primarily used to keep the spacecraft antennae pointed at Earth in order to communicate. As spacecraft can rotate in three directions, Voyager’s thrusters automatically fire to reorient itself. Each time a thruster fires, it adds tiny amounts of propellant residue, leading to gradual build…

E+T Magazine in Space
Researchers fly world’s largest quadcopter drone

The drone was named the Giant Foamboard Quadcopter (GFQ) GFQ is made from foamboard, a cardboard-like material. It measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg – half a kilogram less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority. The quadcopter was built from sheets of 5mm thick foamboard, which can be recycled or even composted. The sheets were laser cut to size and assembled into the 3D structure by hand using only hot melt glue. The four arms can be easily removed for transportation. The drone is powered by four electric motors running off a 50-volt battery pack and can fly autonomously. GFQ was tested by the team in July inside the main hangar at Snowdonia Aerospace Centre. The researchers said they hope this demonstration will inspire…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Microsoft to invest A$50bn in Australia AI and cloud capabilities

Microsoft has announced its plans to spend A$5bn (£2.6bn) on expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing abilities in Australia over the next two years. The company has also pledged to collaborate with Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to boost domestic protection from cyber threats. The partnership was announced by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the opening day of his state visit to the US. The pledge has been described as Microsoft’s largest-ever single investment in Australia. “This is our largest investment in Microsoft’s 40-year history in Australia and a testament to our commitment to the country’s growth and prosperity in the AI era, ” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president. The company said it plans to use the funds to build…

E+T Magazine in Cybersecurity
Uncrewed RAF aircraft to begin UK trials

The UK’s air and space force is on its way to incorporating autonomous aircrafts into its fleet. Protector is a new uncrewed aircraft capable of carrying out global surveillance and strike operations. It has a wingspan of 79ft and can operate at heights up to 40,000ft. It also has an endurance of more than 30 hours. The first of this new line of aircraft will begin a series of tests at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire this week, with a view to joining the fleet in late 2024. The aircraft is expected to undertake a wide range of tasks, including land and maritime surveillance to track threats, counterterrorism and support to UK civil authorities, such as assisting HM Coastguard with search and rescue missions. It’s arrived! The first of 16 Protector aircraft, the RAF’s latest Remotely…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
Recycling reforms to standardise collections across the UK

Currently, local councils take different approaches to recycling, which can cause confusion for residents. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has proposed to standardise collections across the country so people know what materials can and cannot be recycled, regardless of which part of the country they are in. Weekly collections of food waste will also be introduced for most households across England by 2026 in a bid to stop a trend towards three- or four-weekly bin collections seen in some local authorities across the UK, particularly in Wales. The government is proposing new exemptions to make sure that waste collectors will be able to collect dry recyclables together, in the same bin or bag, and collect organic waste together to reduce the number of bins required…

E+T Magazine in Recycling
The 5-minute guide to quantum computing

Q: What is it? Peter Haynes, professor of theory and simulation of materials at Imperial College London, said at a recent webinar: “[Quantum physics] is a remarkably successful theory that describes how light and matter behave, particularly at the atomic level.” Understanding this behaviour – the behaviour of atomic and subatomic particles at a fundamental level – opens up new possibilities in computing and other technologies. Q: But is it a ‘thing’ yet? We are getting there, but it is still at the ‘voyage of discovery’ stage. As Professor Myungshik Kim, of the quantum information theory group at Imperial College London, said at the same event: “As we go further into the detail of elementary particles, we should also consolidate work on quantum mechanical interactions of elementary…

E+T Magazine in Computing
Heat pump grants boosted as UK flags on heating decarbonisation

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme should make it cheaper for most households to install heat pumps than gas boilers, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said. The scheme has also been extended by three years to 2028, giving people more time to take advantage. A heat pump takes heat at a low temperature from the air or ground and increases it to a higher temperature before transferring the heat into homes for heating and hot water. The technology is significantly more efficient than traditional boilers and, unlike gas boilers, can be run on clean electricity rather than fossil fuels. The UK needs to retrofit around two houses per minute between now and 2035 to meet the government’s targets on energy efficiency. Last year, research from Wunderflats ranked the UK near the bottom of 28…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Breaking the link between industrial pollution and antibiotic resistance

Well-managed wastewater treatment plants, operated correctly, are probably, singularly, the most important barrier for disease spread there is – better than the best vaccine,” says David Graham, professor of ecosystems engineering at Newcastle University. Graham is a co-author of a recent United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report, Bracing for superbugs, which evidences the deadly spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR renders frequently used antibiotics ineffective at treating common bacterial infections, such as pneumonia. The World Health Organization considers it to be one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity today. This is for good reason. In 2019, AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide, and associated with nearly five…

E+T Magazine in Water Supply
Spacesuit that can repel lunar dust being developed for Artemis mission

Lunar dust potentially poses serious risks to both astronauts and their equipment on the Moon’s surface. According to Nasa, it is composed of fine crushed rock – an abrasive substance that can damage lunar landers and human lungs if inhaled, as well as interfere with instruments and mechanisms. Lunar dust even causes radiators to overheat and can destroy spacesuits. On the Sun-facing side of the Moon, it also carries solar radiation that makes it cling to everything, compounding its potential risks. Nasa’s Artemis programme aims to land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon by 2029, marking a return to lunar exploration more than 50 years on from the previous trip. Researchers at Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU) have been given a $50,000 grant from Nasa to build a ‘Liquid…

E+T Magazine in Space
Carmakers failing to decarbonise supply chains despite rising EV sales

The annual ranking from Greenpeace East Asia evaluates the world’s 15 largest traditional carmakers on their phase-out of combustion engine vehicles, supply chain decarbonisation, and resource reduction and circularity. This year, Japan’s Suzuki received the lowest score, followed by China’s Great Wall Motor and Japanese firm Toyota. China’s largest automaker, SAIC, had the highest volume of EV sales, but took just third place in the ranking due to its slow progress on supply chain decarbonisation. In 2022, three in every 10 vehicles sold by SAIC were EVs. Chongqing-based Changan and Great Wall Motor ranked 12 th and 14 th respectively due to poor supply chain decarbonisation, despite their relatively high proportion of zero-emission vehicle sales. “Neither automaker has issued adequate…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Meta, TikTok and X face EU disinformation investigation

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and ByteDance’s TikTok have been given a week to provide the European Commission with data regarding the measures they have put in place to stop the spread of disinformation on their platforms, particularly surrounding the conflict in Gaza. The news follows the bloc's decision to open a probe into Elon Musk’s X – formerly known as Twitter – regarding similar concerns. The request is the first procedure to be carried out under the EU’s Digital Service Act, which recently came into effect. The law aims to create a ‘rulebook’ for online platforms by regulating companies’ content moderation policies and advertising practices. It also requires that platforms share details of their algorithms with regulators and, in certain cases, with independent researchers. …

E+T Magazine
British Museum decides to digitise its collection after suffering 2,000 thefts

The famous London museum decided to digitise its collection following reports that the thefts of 2,000 artefacts had gone unnoticed over the past 20 years. “Essentially we were the victims of an inside job by someone we believe, who over a long period of time was stealing from the museum and who the museum had put trust in,” said George Osborne, the museum’s chair. “There are lots of lessons to be learned.” Of the 2,000 stolen items, about 350 have been recovered so far . Last month, the museum launched a public appeal for assistance in locating the remaining artefacts, believed to be pieces of jewellery dating back to the ancient Greek and Roman periods, as well as small objects such as gems, often set in rings. The museum believes the thefts were made possible by a lack of accessible…

E+T Magazine
Public unconvinced by smart meter roll-out, report finds

In a new report, the PAC said that the roll-out had failed to meet its original targets and has repeatedly shifted its deadlines for completion. It also said that consumers with traditional meters are less interested in having a smart meter. Reports of forced switching of consumers to smart meters last winter may have dissuaded people from installing one, the PAC said. The initial roll-out saw many customers receive first-generation SMETS1 meters that lost function when they switched to a new supplier, meaning that their meters became analogue and they had to submit readings manually. The government aimed to upgrade them to second-generation models that could work across suppliers, but as of May this year, around four million first-gen meters were still running. The PAC report also…

E+T Magazine
Amazon to bring drone deliveries to UK customers late next year

The firm launched a similar service in the US nearly a year ago for packages weighing under 2.2kg. As part of the UK roll-out, new MK30 drone designs have been unveiled, which are said to be quieter, smaller and lighter than previous models. They can also fly twice as far as previous Prime Air drone models and operate in more diverse weather conditions. Amazon said it was “working closely” with both national and international regulators to develop the programme. The firm had previously attempted a similar service with support from the UK government in 2015 . But it wound down those efforts after failing to secure full regulatory approval. “We have committed the necessary time and resources to build a safe and scalable service,” Amazon said. “We have refined the technology, and are…

E+T Magazine
Nokia to cut up to 14,000 jobs by 2026

Nokia will attempt to reduce costs by €800m to €1.2bn (£695m to £1bn) by 2026, which could affect 16 per cent of its workforce, the company revealed. The telecommunications company reported that sales slumped by 20 per cent between July and September, blaming the fall on slowing demand for 5 G equipment. As a result, Q3 profits fell by 70 per cent to €133m (£116m) compared with €428m a year earlier. Nokia had aimed to balance out the slowdown in demand in North America by expanding its business in India, but the strategy has not been successful, as sales in the Asian nation had only been “moderate”. “The most difficult business decisions to make are the ones that impact our people,” said Pekka Lundmark, Nokia chief executive. “We have immensely talented employees at Nokia and we will…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
World needs 80 million more kilometres of new power lines by 2040, IEA finds

A new IEA report on global electrical grids said that a “lack of ambition and attention” risks making electricity grids the “weak link” within the global transition to clean energy. The agency said that grid investment needs to double to more than $600bn (£495bn) a year by 2030, or electrical grids could become a barrier to the deployment of renewables and electric transport options – risking climate catastrophe and frequent blackouts. The report found that 80 million kilometres (49.7 million miles) of transmission lines will be needed by 2040 in order for countries to meet their climate goals and energy demands. This is roughly equivalent to the total number of miles of electrical grid that currently exist in the world, according to the IEA. The lack of investment in the sector is…

E+T Magazine
AI-powered lasers orbiting the Earth could help tackle space junk problem

As the amount of space debris in orbit increases, so does the risk that some of it will collide with manned and unmanned space assets. It is estimated that around one million pieces of debris larger than a centimetre are in Earth’s orbit, and around 100 trillion pieces of old satellite are not being tracked. West Virginia University (WVU) researchers believe that the best chance for preventing those collisions is an array of multiple lasers mounted on platforms in space. The lasers could be powered by AI and manoeuvre together in order to respond rapidly to debris of any size. The work is currently in its early stages, and the team are verifying that the algorithms they are developing would be a cost-effective solution. Team leader Hang Woon Lee is director of the Space Systems Operations…

E+T Magazine in Space
EU agrees to reform the energy market with consensus on nuclear power

After months of deadlock, EU member states have agreed a position regarding the need to reform the bloc’s electricity market. The reform aims to make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices, shield consumers from price spikes, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and improve consumer protection, the European Commission said. The need for a reform was prompted by the gas shortages and high energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . However, negotiations stalled over the issue of nuclear energy. While France supported a motion to use state-backed investment schemes for clean energy projects, Germany expressed concerns that the French would use the funds to obtain huge profits from its large nuclear fleet, which generate about 70 per cent…

E+T Magazine
The eccentric engineer: the law of unintended consequences

The rather portly and illiterate father of 13 children, James Hargreaves made his living as a hand loom weaver in Blackburn. In the 18th century, this job was one of the ‘cottage industries’ practised from home that formed the basis of England’s famous woollen cloth-making economy, along with wool carding and spinning. In this labour-intensive business it took three carders to prepare the wool for one spinner and perhaps three spinners to provide enough thread for one weaver. As such, it was the business of the whole family and for many rural communities, particularly in the North West, this craft, along with farming a few acres of land, provided their entire income and was the mainstay of a centuries-old economy. It was a business that, if not hugely lucrative, was regular and employed…

E+T Magazine in History of Engineering
Experts demand tougher limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

Stricter limits on the amount of ‘forever chemicals’ permitted in drinking water in the UK should be significantly changed to mirror those of other countries, the institution has said. ‘Forever chemicals’ or PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of around 12,000 different chemicals commonly found in non-stick cookware, waterproof cosmetics, firefighting foams and products that resist grease and oil. Despite their utility, they have been associated with dangerous health effects on humans, livestock and the environment. Some PFAS have even been linked to cancers, liver and thyroid disease, immune and fertility problems and developmental defects in unborn children. The current guidance of PFAS in UK drinking water is 100 nanograms (ng) a litre for 47 individual types of…

E+T Magazine in Water Supply

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