• AI accurately predicts whether people will develop dementia within two years

    University of Exeter researchers used machine learning techniques to analyse data from more than 15,000 patients in the US. The technique works by spotting hidden patterns in the data and learning who is most at risk. The study also suggested that the algorithm could help reduce the number of people who may have been falsely diagnosed with dementia. The researchers analysed data from people who attended a network of 30 National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centre memory clinics in the US. The attendees did not have dementia at the start of the study, though many were experiencing problems with memory or other brain functions. In the study timeframe between 2005 and 2015, one in ten attendees (1,568) received a new diagnosis of dementia within two years of visiting the memory clinic. The…

  • Hands-on review: Meazor 6-in-1 laser measurer

    For most people, measuring things comes down to one of two tools: a ruler they've probably owned since their schooldays or one of those snappy retractable measuring tapes that threatens to do you a serious whiplash injury as it reels itself in at lightning speed. Naturally, there are more technologically advanced ways to measure things now. It's 2021, dagnammit. In this spirit, Hozo Design has launched the Meazor, which Hozo claims to be the world’s most compact 6-in-1 multifunctional laser measurer. This seems like a reasonable enough claim, Meazor not being much bigger than a chonky car key fob (100mm x 54mm x 21.3mm). It also has a "cutting-edge" (Hozo says) 2D floorplan scanning function, as well as unit conversion; a laser distance measure; a built-in bubble level, and curve scanning…

  • Climate change threatens up to 40 per cent of world’s oil and gas reserves

    Risk consultancy firm Verisk Maplecroft said that Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Nigeria are among the oil- and gas-producing countries with the highest risk of climate-related events disrupting their supply. Between them, these three countries account for nearly 19 per cent of commercially recoverable oil and gas. Furthermore, climate-related supply threats to the sector have already begun to manifest, such as recent freezing conditions in Texas that knocked US oil and gas output to a three-year low, while Hurricane Ida caused a record 55 spills in the Gulf of Mexico and created historic disruptions to the supply of both crude oil and refined products. Record heat in Russia accelerated the melting of permafrost, a trend that has damaged 40 per cent of buildings and infrastructure in northern…

  • ‘Brutal’ rail fare price hikes mooted by government

    Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said such a “hike” would be “brutal”. The Labour MP said: “Ahead of a tough Christmas, people across this country are paying the price of Tory inflation.” Haigh added that since the Conservatives entered government the price of commuting from Dewsbury into Leeds has risen more than three times faster than pay. She asked Shapps if that was reasonable, addressing him directly: “Will he rule out the brutal 3.8 per cent hike in rail fares rumoured for millions of passengers next year?” Shapps said Dewsbury “benefits much more” from the integrated rail plan than the original HS2 plan, adding that Haigh was "right about inflation, of course, but it is a global post-pandemic issue, rather than specific to this country, and that’s why the Chancellor of…

  • 3D printing used to make lighter-weight knee brace

    Developed by Singapore engineering firm Delsson, in collaboration with 3D printing specialists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, the X-Brace is around 30 per cent lighter than traditional exoskeleton knee braces. The weight savings were achieved thanks to a new 3D-printed design that uses lightweight plastic and assistive springs instead of metal. It weighs about 720g - 30 per cent lighter than the typical metal orthopaedic braces that can weigh over 1kg. Braces are often prescribed to elderly patients to help alleviate the burden on their knee joints, as well as to assist patients who have undergone surgery on their knees, such as reconstruction of torn ligaments, often suffered by athletes. The researchers used 3D-modelling to help validate their design ideas and…

  • Mummified pets from Ancient Egypt automatically segmented

    The hidden internal structures of archaeological remains can be revealed through a technique, Propagation Phase Contrast Synchrotron Microtomography (PPC-SRμCT), which is considered the gold standard for non-invasive and non-destructive imaging. PPC-SRμCT allows researchers to perform a “virtual autopsy” and “virtual unwrapping” of mummified remains, uncovering information about processes used to create mummies and informing historical study. It has been applied to archaeozoological studies of mummified animal remains from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods of Ancient Egypt, originating from the third century BC to the fourth century AD. Image segmentation is an important process in computer vision, unlocking higher level tasks such as understanding the progress of a disease from a CT image…

  • How standardisation for ecodesign and circular economy contributes to sustainability

    Key Learning Points You will learn how international standardisation bodies work so that each country and organisation can have digital tools and the environment can benefit from the performance of digital technology What is The European Commission standardisation; extending product lifetime; ability to re-use components or recycle materials from products at end-of-life; use of re-used components and/or recycled materials in products; ecodesign system EN4555x You will learn about global approaches based on system engineering that covers life cycle management and supports SDGs number 12 (responsible consumption production) and 13 (climate action) Download free white paper

  • AI-generated BMJ study titles amuse, but could also inspire

    The Christmas issue of The BMJ is by tradition a mix of light-hearted content combined with rigorous, peer-reviewed research, with many Christmas articles among The BMJ’s most memorable studies. For example, an article titled 'The Darwin Awards: sex difference in idiotic behaviour', published in the Christmas 2014 BMJ, received more than 700,000 page impressions in just 12 months. In this year’s issue, one study reviewed the quality of AI-generated titles of potential Christmas BMJ articles, finding they were as attractive and entertaining as real titles, although performance of the AI was enhanced by human intervention. The study, 'Ghost in the machine or monkey with a typewriter – generating titles for Christmas research articles in The BMJ using artificial intelligence: observational study…

  • Are you ready to ride the next wave of digital disruption?

    Technology that once seemed a long-term ambition for many companies has become a necessity in the past two years, as companies have accelerated their digital transformation efforts to cope with the impacts of the pandemic. Previously innovative practices such as virtual communications, personalised digital engagement, immersive modelling, rapid prototyping and efficient remote-collaboration tools are now mainstream. The pandemic catalysed the creation of two classes of company. The first, with a low level of digital maturity, struggled to implement innovative systems, having to play catch-up before they could tackle the challenges that Covid-19 restrictions put on organisations. The second, which already had high levels of digital maturity, thrived, adopting future-proofing technologies to…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Wall climbing robot designed to reduce workplace accidents

    Designed by Birmingham-based firm HausBots, the robot can climb vertical surfaces with ease and after several years of prototyping, it has now been released as a commercial product. In the US, 85,000 workers fall from heights every year, killing around 700 of them and costing insurance companies over $1bn in claims. To ensure the robot itself doesn’t fall it had to undergo extensive electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) testing to make sure the fans, which essentially attach it to the surface function correctly. The WMG team at the University of Warwick, which helped develop the robots, tested it by placing it in the EMC chamber and assessing how it responds to noise and to make sure it does not emit any unwanted noise itself. Using amplifiers to simulate noise and analysers, the researchers…

  • Major UK banks join forces to ensure future access to cash

    While cash payments were already declining year-on-year before the pandemic hit, Covid-19 accelerated the trend, with current usage 35 per cent below pre-Covid levels. One study from Merchant Machine found a 10 per cent decrease in the number of ATMs available to UK cardholders in 2020 alone. The new deal will see shared banking hubs being rolled out alongside free ATMs, enhanced Post Office services, and access to cashback without purchases. The collaboration was achieved through the Access to Cash Action Group which has signed up all the major retail banks alongside Age UK, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and others. With millions of people across the UK still reliant on cash, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was urged last year to protect people’s access to it as it becomes increasingly…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Nasa spacecraft does hokey cokey in and out of the Sun

    The Parker Space Probe was launched in 2018 with the intent of observing the Sun more closely than any other spacecraft. The boundary between solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind is known as the Alfvén critical surface. Researchers aimed to discover where this surface lay, using data collected by the spacecraft. In April, during its eighth close approach to the Sun, the probe encountered the tell-tale magnetic and particle conditions that marked this surface, 8.1 million miles from the centre of the Sun. However, it has taken several months to return the data and confirm the encounter. The plunge was announced this week during a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. “Parker Solar Probe 'touching the Sun' is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat,” said…

  • National Cyber Strategy devised to improve skills and build resilience

    The government’s new National Cyber Strategy calls for a “whole-of-society” approach from the classroom to industry to open up access to high-skill, high-priority jobs. At the same time, the government has said it is increasing investment in the National Cyber Force, which represents the UK’s offensive capability to “counter, disrupt, degrade and contest” hostile actors seeking to harm the country’s interests. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said a “core” aim is to strengthen the UK’s hand in technologies critical to cyber while reducing reliance on suppliers from countries under regimes that “do not share our values”. He said the new strategy would “transform” the way Britain advances its national interests in cyberspace following the publication earlier this year of the Integrated…

  • Sponsored: The Benefits of Integrating Hardware, Software, and Services within a Modular Data Centre

    As organizations shift their data centre strategy from a centralized approach to a distributed model design to process IoT-generated data,  prefabricated modular data centres  are emerging as a “go-to” solution. These modular data centres should ideally come with a system-level service and maintenance plan – integrating the UPS, cooling, switchboard, and container. To optimize operations, companies should look for modular data centres built to integrate hardware, software, and services that enable organizations to connect more products and devices at the system level. This approach allows for a standard data model with cloud-based applications, tools, and services to increase performance, boost availability, and decrease operational costs. Just as today’s automobiles are factory built with…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Energy suppliers to undergo financial stress testing to prevent future collapse

    The regulator wants to measure supplier’s resilience against a range of scenarios and will agree an improvement plan for companies to address any concerns should they come up, particularly where consumers are at risk. According to analysts at Investec last month, consumers in England, Scotland and Wales could be forced to pay £3.2bn to cover the costs left behind by 26 gas and electricity providers that went bust in the wake of the high prices. Ofgem believes its new reforms will help to bolster risk management in the sector, protecting the interests of consumers and strengthening the resilience of the energy market. As well as the financial stress testing for suppliers from January, supplier executive boards will also be required to undertake self-assessments of their management control…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Paper-thin biodegradable batteries could power future wearables

    The team from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore developed the batteries from electrodes that have been screen-printed on to both sides of a piece of cellulose paper which is then reinforced with hydrogel. Once the battery has been expended, it can be buried in soil, where it breaks down completely within a month. In a proof-of-concept experiment, a 4cm x 4cm square of printed paper battery was used to power a small electric fan for  45 minutes. Bending or twisting the battery did not interrupt the power supply. In another experiment using a 4cm x 4cm battery to power an LED, the scientists showed that despite cutting away parts of the paper battery, the LED remained lit. The scientists think their printed battery could be integrated into flexible electronics…

  • Peers vote to prevent Aria-funded tech being flogged to overseas companies

    The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) Bill is making its way through Parliament. Plans for Aria, which is considered the brainchild of former Downing Street staffer Dominic Cummings, were announced in February . Aria is inspired by the Pentagon’s Darpa, which has been instrumental in the development of GPS and the internet. It aims to pursue R&D in areas of science and technology with the potential to generate ground-breaking discoveries and technologies without the pressures that limit innovation, such as fear of short-term setbacks or rigid funding models. It will be independent from government intervention and supported with £800m in funding for the remainder of this parliament. The House of Lords has been combing over the Aria Bill, voting on two amendments this week. Most…

  • IBM and Samsung unveil supremely energy-efficient semiconductor design

    The global semiconductor shortage has highlighted the critical role of investment in chip research and development and the importance of chips in everything from computing, to appliances, communication devices, transportation systems and critical infrastructure. IBM and Samsung Electronics have jointly announced a breakthrough in semiconductor design using a new vertical transistor architecture that demonstrates a path to scaling beyond nanosheet and has the potential to reduce energy usage by 85 per cent compared to a scaled fin field-effect transistor (finFET). The new vertical transistor breakthrough could help the semiconductor industry continue its relentless journey to deliver significant improvements, including a potential device architecture that enables semiconductor device scaling…

  • View from India: The year that was…

    Go Green The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded its Regional Leadership Award to CtrlS, Asia’s largest Rated-4 Hyperscale data centre. Caring for planet Earth has been integral to CtrlS's DNA. What makes this announcement worthwhile is that the company has explored various possible solutions for energy efficiency and sustainability and reduced the PUE (power usage effectiveness) to 1.35, thereby reducing energy consumption at its hyperscale data centres in India. “At CtrlS, sustainability is a key focus and is a strategic component of our organisation. We are further sharpening our focus on usage of natural sources of energy such as solar. We are in the process of constructing a 1,000-acre solar farm to power our data centre facilities. We plan to achieve carbon neutrality (net…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Covid-19 breathalyser can quickly identify infected people

    Dubbed the “Bubbler” by the Brown University researchers behind the project, the device relies on viral RNA detection to diagnose Covid-19. Its name is derived from the bubbling sound that occurs when the patient exhales into the device. The Bubbler reverse transcribes RNA from airborne virus particles into DNA which can then be tested via PCR and can also be barcoded to allow samples to be linked directly to individual patients. It can be used for simultaneous batches of pooled samples and provides additional information such as viral load and strain identity and eliminates the need for stabilising a sample. “Involvement of the lower respiratory tract is often a precursor to severe Covid-19, so there is an argument for a more direct sampling focused on exhaled breath,” explained lead…

  • Toyota to have ‘more fun’ line-up of 30 EVs by 2030

    Toyota is the world’s top-selling automaker, selling approximately 10 million vehicles annually. While most of the world’s largest automakers – including Ford, General Motors, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover – pledged at COP26 to “rapidly” accelerate the transition to less-polluting vehicles , the two largest, Toyota and Volkswagen, did not join the pledge. Toyota, which long been viewed as something of a laggard in the industry’s transition to less-polluting vehicles, has now laid out its ambition to expand its all-electric offering in the next decade. The company plans to sell 3.5 million EVs globally in 2030, up from its previous target of two million hydrogen and battery EVs per year by 2030. It aims to offer a full line-up of EVs called the 'bz series' (“beyond zero”) in…

  • Parliamentarians call for ‘major changes’ to Online Safety Bill

    Most significantly, peers and MPs said in their report on the draft bill, which was published in May , that it must be clearer about what content is illegal. They also proposed expanding the scope of the bill to include online flashing, paid-for scam and fraudulent advertising, content promoting self-harm, and deliberately sending flashing images to people with photosensitive epilepsy. The report proposed that pornographic sites should have a statutory duty to keep children away, whether or not they host user-to-user content. It recommended that Ofcom, which will be assigned responsibility for regulating the sector, should be given more powers to investigate, audit, and fine technology companies. Ofcom should also draft mandatory codes of practice for ISPs with named senior managers at…

  • Plastic-degrading enzymes on the rise in pollution hotspots

    Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden measured samples of environmental DNA from around the globe and used computer modelling to search for microbial enzymes with plastic-degrading potential. This was then cross-referenced with the official numbers for plastic waste pollution across countries and oceans. The results illustrate the impact plastic pollution is having on the environment and hint at potential new solutions for managing the problem. “Using our models, we found multiple lines of evidence supporting the fact that the global microbiome’s plastic-degrading potential correlates strongly with measurements of environmental plastic pollution – a significant demonstration of how the environment is responding to the pressures we are placing on it,” said associate…

  • Sponsored: An Innovators Journey - Getting Started in Agritech

    Today it is where the Central Research Laboratory (CRL), a purpose-built technology co-working space and hardware design accelerator is based. Early-stage companies, typically working on a diverse range of technologies, from agritech to building materials, enjoy a six-month programme of business acceleration support. Innovators receive help turning a product idea into a solid business plan, seeking funding, and getting a prototype into production. With a long-term commitment to empowering innovation, Mouser has partnered with CRL and provides funding, innovation support, and access to their technical knowledge network of industry-leading electronic component suppliers. One such start-up to benefit from the CRL accelerator programme is Muddy Machines. The company is creating innovative agricultural…

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