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A vision for the future

Recent technological advances are having a transformative impact on a variety of retinal conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – the leading cause of permanent loss of sight in the adult population, affecting 200 million people worldwide. In this disease, photoreceptors in the central retina gradually degenerate, resulting in the loss of high-resolution central vision, which impairs patients’ ability to read and recognise faces. An innovative implant developed in the US by researchers at Stanford University promises to help by replacing the lost photoreceptors with photovoltaic pixels. These convert light into electric current to stimulate the second-order neurons in the retina, thereby restoring the flow of information in the visual system. “The implant is completely…

E+T Magazine in Vision and Imaging
Blasting lava with lasers could help predict volcanic eruptions, scientists say

A team of international collaborators have trialled a new application to analyse volcanic lava and better understand volcanic eruptions. The new technique relies on an approach known as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma quadruple mass spectrometry. “It’s a mouthful, but this high-resolution technique offers clearer data on what’s chemically occurring within a volcano’s magma, which is fundamental to forecasting eruption patterns and changes,” said Dr Teresa Ubide from the University of Queensland’s School of the Environment. Ubide described magma as the "computer code" of volcanoes, providing information on the eruption style and lava flow. “The chemical changes that occur within the liquid portion of the magma during a volcanic eruption are quite incredible,” Ubide said. “The…

E+T Magazine
A dummies’ guide to the five basic senses

Touch Touch is, in many ways, our most important sense. Deprive an infant of sight or hearing, and it will still develop normally. According to ‘Touch’, a book by neuroscientist David Linden, a baby deprived of physical contact in its early years will face a life of high stress levels, anxiety and fear. It doesn’t only help us understand our physical surroundings. We use it to express emotional contact, to ease loneliness and to share in joys and sorrows. The sense that we call touch is a variety of complex systems which work in unison to transmit information from our skin, our muscles and even our internal organs to the brain. Different kinds of nerve endings detect different kinds of information in specific ways. And this complexity makes designing technologies to enhance, augment or mimic…

E+T Magazine in Functional Safety
AI predicts crystal orientation to improve manufacturing of electronic devices

Crystals are a vital component of many machines. Familiar materials used in industry contain polycrystalline components, including metal alloys, ceramics and semiconductors. As polycrystals are made up of many crystals, they have a complex microstructure and their properties vary greatly depending on how the crystal grains are orientated. This is especially important for the silicon crystals used in solar cells, smartphones and computers. “To obtain a polycrystalline material that can be used effectively in industry, control and measurement of grain orientation distribution is required,” said Professor Noritaka Usami, of Nagoya University. “However, this is hindered by the expensive equipment and time current techniques need to measure large-area samples.” A Nagoya University team consisting…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
UAE unveils plans to triple its energy resources by 2030

The National Energy Strategy announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's vice president and ruler of Dubai, also includes investments in hydrogen fuel and developing infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV). The ambitious plan is part of the country's roadmap to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and comes months before the COP28 climate conference, which will be hosted by the country in November. “The UAE presents a shining example for adopting policies and strategies that contribute to shaping a more sustainable future at home and globally,” said Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in a press briefing . UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid provided more details of the strategy in a tweet. ترأست اليوم اجتماعاً لمجلس…

E+T Magazine in Power Conversion
Biden officials should restrict contact with social media firms, judge rules

In a 155-page ruling, Judge Terry Doughty barred Biden officials from contacting social media platforms over "content containing protected free speech". The decision was the result of a lawsuit brought by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who accused US government officials of going too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts that contained misinformation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The case has sparked a debate over the government's role in moderating content published on online platforms. The ruling said certain government agencies could not talk to social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction…

E+T Magazine
AI could boost the British economy by £400bn by 2030, Google says

The report states that the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT and rival solutions such as Google's Bard would mark the “most profound” technology shift in our lifetimes. It estimates that the economic boost from AI would be equivalent to annual growth of 2.6 per cent, creating £200bn in additional revenues for public services and “turning around the recent growth stagnation”. The report was produced alongside public policy research agency Public First and estimates that generative AI could save the average UK worker more than 100 hours a year, with this number amounting to 700,000 hours a year in administrative work for UK GPs and teachers. However, the report did not take into account the loss of some jobs and businesses that could come with the transition to an AI-powered economy. Moreover,…

E+T Magazine
The bigger picture: Wearable robotic arms

The Jizai Arms system consists of a backpack-like base unit with sockets for up to six arms, and interchangeable hand modules depending on the task. The arms can be controlled by the user, or remotely. The team from the University of Tokyo says the system “has been designed to facilitate social interaction among multiple users”, who can even exchange arms. In a research paper, they write: “Through our role-playing sessions, we observed that our bodies were able to accurately perceive the attachment/detachment of the arms, and we particularly felt a significant impact when detaching or reducing the number of robotic arms worn.” Image credit: Cover Images

E+T Magazine in Rehabilitation and Prosthetics
Meta teases Threads, a new text app to rival Twitter

Although the physical fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has never materialised, the Facebook owner has posed a new challenge to the Tesla founder in the form of a new social media application. Described as " Instagram’s text-based conversation app", Threads is currently available for pre-sale in the Apple store. The app has been described by Meta as a platform " where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow". “Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world”, the Apple Store description reads. Meta has also launched…

E+T Magazine
Science and technology top the bill at Edinburgh Fringe 2023

The Edinburgh Fringe is back with a blast this summer. But the annual explosion of creativity has a new element. Gone are gloomy stage sets with heavy red curtains and an antique writing desk. At this first full-scale Fringe since Covid-19, digital screens make up the scenery and petri dishes the props. From experimental theatre addressing the climate crisis to the story of medical fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, there are more than 50 science and technology shows exerting their force of attraction. This year, science is topping the bill. Why has this collision of arts and science happened? Neil Harris, who’s performing his comedy Codebreaker (14-26 August, Greenside) about cracking the Enigma cipher, says science brings new chemistry. “There are hundreds of traditional shows by some exceptionally…

E+T Magazine
China to curb exports of certain semiconductor materials

The move has been justified as a decision by the Chinese government to "protect national security and interests", but experts have interpreted it as a retaliation measure against restrictions on the exportation of US and European semiconductor technology to China. The eight gallium and six germanium products affected by the curbs are widely used in the production of semiconductors, electric vehicles and military equipment, and could cause a disruption to global supply chains. The export controls will begin on 1 August, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. From that date on, exporters of gallium and germanium will be required to apply for “special permission from the state” to ship them out of China, the government added. China is currently the biggest producer of gallium…

E+T Magazine in Semiconductor Technology
First UN meeting on the threats of artificial intelligence to be held in the UK

The United Nations Security Council meeting will be held in the United Kingdom, and it has been presented as a centrepiece of the UK's presidency of the council. The summit will focus on the major risks that would arise from governments using AI to develop autonomous weapons or control nuclear weapons. With this goal, it will include briefings by international AI experts and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres has been known for speaking up against the risks of new technologies such as AI and has revealed plans to appoint a scientific advisory board with expertise in this area. He also said he would react favourably to the creation of a new UN agency on AI with some regulatory powers, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “These scientists and experts have called…

E+T Magazine
Amazon dolphin numbers threatened by proposed dams and dredging

Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Through the satellite tags, the team at the University of Exeter and Peruvian conservation organisation Pro Delphinus found that 89 per cent of the area the dolphins live in is currently being used for fishing. “It’s clear that the Amazon river dolphin is facing increasing threats from humans,” said Dr Elizabeth Campbell , a researcher on the study. “Fishing can deplete populations of the dolphins’ prey, and dolphins are also at risk from intentional killing and bycatch (accidental catching). “Bycatch has been known to be a threat to these dolphins for the last 30 years, but there’s no real data on how many dolphins are caught per year.” In the research, the river dolphins were found…

E+T Magazine in Water Supply
Twitter restricts number of tweets people can see; facing legal action over unpaid bills

The news of the lawsuit broke one day after Twitter owner Elon Musk revealed its plan to begin restricting the number of tweets people can see in a day to 6,000 , sparking criticism from users and advertisers. Musk said Twitter had imposed the “temporary limit” to “address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation”. The announcement followed complaints of users being unable to access the site from 12pm onwards on Saturday, only seeing a message that read “Rate limit exceeded. Please wait a few moments then try again”, which led to ' #Twitterdown' and 'RIP Twitter' to begin trending on the platform. Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said it is “very odd to start rate-limiting the reading of a social network”, as limiting users’ scroll time “will affect…

E+T Magazine
UK sets new limits on energy, industry and aviation carbon emissions

The new limits have been announced in a package of reforms presented by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority (UK ETS), the joint body comprising the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The scheme has been in place since 2021 to replace the UK's participation in the European Union's ETS. It puts a limit on the total amount of greenhouse gases aviation, power and other energy-intensive industries can emit. However, from next year, the limits will be tightened to ensure industries bring their emissions down at the rate needed to reach net zero goals. The programme incentivises decarbonisation through a process of buying and selling emissions allowances, which companies must obtain for…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
View from India: Technology ties to bind US partnership

Technology could well play a defining role in deepening the India-US partnership. A number of collaborations support this view. A beginning may be the 'Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology' (iCET) that happened in January 2023. The strategic technology partnership involves both governments, businesses and academic institutions to realise their shared vision to take the alliance forward. To that effect, policies and regulations could be adapted to facilitate technology sharing, co-development and co-production opportunities. Then, in June 2023, the 'Strategic Trade Dialogue' was flagged with the intent of enabling greater technology transfer between both nations. This was one of the many outcomes of Modi’s recent visit to the US at Biden's invitation. Both leaders have issued joint…

E+T Magazine in Semiconductor Technology
Q&A with Simpson & Partners on the future of EV charging

Mandy and David Simpson are co-directors of family-run Simpson & Partners, which makes designer EV chargers in the Cotswolds. He is a former bank IT professional who heads the engineering side while she, as a former fashion designer previously working at DKNY in New York, takes care of the design, look and feel. I met up with them at their factory in the Cotswolds. E&T: How did you get started with this venture? Mandy Simpson: We started Andersen in 2016, making electric car chargers, based in London. It was David's idea on his way into work. He worked at Lloyds IT. And I was having a career in fashion at the time. And he said, oh, let's get into the EV business, because it's booming. So we started Andersen from scratch, he led our design team technical team and I did all the brand. And…

E+T Magazine in Automotive Engineering
Competition watchdog concerned about £16bn Adobe takeover

The regulator said today (Friday 30 June) that the deal could potentially mean “less choice for designers”, as the two businesses would stop competing with each other. Sorcha O’Carroll, senior mergers director at the CMA, said: “We’re worried this deal could stifle innovation and lead to higher costs for companies that rely on Figma and Adobe’s digital tools, as they cease to compete to provide customers with new and better products.” The watchdog has asked Adobe to come up with solutions that can allay its concerns about the deal. If Adobe's response proves unsatisfactory, the CMA will launch a deeper investigation into the deal and could ultimately block it, if such action is deemed necessary. The proposed deal was originally announced in September last year. Adobe said: “The combination…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
Antarctic sea ice at record low for end of June, says Met Office

The ice is 501,930 sq miles (1.3 million sq km) below the previous low record for this time of year – an amount that is more than five times the surface area of the UK. Dr Ed Blockley, who leads the Met Office’s Polar Climate Group, said: “Antarctic sea ice extent reaches a maximum around the end of September and a minimum around the end of February. “At the end of June, the extent of sea ice should be building to a mid-point between the maximum and the minimum. “However, this year the ice is expanding very slowly with the consequence that the extent is way below the long-term (1981-2010) average. “The annual minimum extent in February 2023 was the lowest since satellite records began in 1979, just over one million sq km (386,102 sq miles) below the long-term average. “The current…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
BattleBots challenges Musk and Zuckerberg to bot-on-bot fight

Las Vegas-based BattleBots - one of the best-known event organisers in the fast-growing sport of robot fighting, with a hit US television series - has invited Tesla founder Elon Musk and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to face off in a ferocious robot-on-robot fighting competition for the title of the most powerful tech CEO in the world. The invitation follows the reported cancellation of a cage fight between the two tech giants after Musk’s mother, Maye, shared her opposition to the match online, tweeting that she “cancelled the fight.” The two global tech moguls and their respective companies are invited to each design and build a formidable robot to fight in the 'BattleBox', a huge purpose-built robot combat arena in the centre of Las Vegas. “This would unleash an epic battle of innovation…

E+T Magazine in Robotics
Hands-on review: Switchbot wireless hygrometer thermometer

If there's one universal topic of conversation for every corner of the world, it's the weather. The climatic conditions. It's too hot, it's too cold, what's the humidity like? The more informed we are, the happier and more comfortable we can be. Knowledge is power. Of course, there are also specific situations where monitoring and maintaining a controlled temperature is critical, from keeping tropical pets and hothousing exotic plants to optimally storing cigars in humidors and precious vintage guitars in their cases. For all these uses and more, the Switchbot wireless hygrometer thermometer could be your well-informed temperature-monitoring friend. Image credit: Switchbot Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and with an IP65 rating to enable it to withstand…

E+T Magazine in Electromagnetic Devices
Why faster adoption of robotics is key to industrial growth

Digital innovation has accelerated significantly in the past few decades, with emerging technologies such as robotics, generative AI and intelligent automation creating new opportunities for driving efficiencies and innovation. The manufacturing industry has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of these technological advancements. Robotics-oriented production processes are most obvious in factories and manufacturing facilities. In fact, approximately 90 per cent of all robots in operation today can be found in such facilities. Apart from improving productivity and efficiency, robotics offers greater precision and safety, resulting in improved product quality and faster service delivery. Despite its many benefits, the UK manufacturing sector is not making the most of this technology. According…

E+T Magazine in Control and Automation
Euclid telescope on a mission to uncover dark mysteries of the universe

The two-tonne probe, named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, will be heading towards an area in space known as the second Lagrange point, where the gravitational forces of Earth and the Sun are roughly equal, creating a stable location for the spacecraft. The UK has contributed £37m towards the £850m mission, with scientists playing key roles in designing and building the probe and leading on one of the two scientific instruments on board. The aim of the mission is to shed light on two of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter. Professor Tom Kitching, of UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory – one of four science co-ordinators for Euclid - said: “The puzzles we hope to address are fundamental. “Are our models of the universe correct? What is dark…

E+T Magazine in Space
Air taxis ready for take off in Canada with public support, survey says

A nationwide study by Horizon Aircraft, a Canadian-based company specialising in hybrid electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aerial vehicles found that 73 per cent of Canadians support the development of the air taxi and eVTOL industry. Nearly four out of five (78 per cent) would be happy to fly in them once they are commercially operational. Just 7 per cent said they would never use an eVTOL, while 15 per cent are currently undecided. A major reason driving support for the industry is the potential to create jobs and boost the Canadian economy, whilst also helping cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing traffic congestion. Industry data shows the global air taxi and urban air mobility industry is forecast to see revenues grow from $2.3bn in 2021 to as much as $30.7bn by 2031…

E+T Magazine in Road transport systems

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