• NHS adopts lens technology for smartphone skin cancer assessments

    NHS adopts lens technology for smartphone skin cancer assessments

    The lens, which is about the size of a 50p piece, is known as a dermatoscope and will enable specialist dermatologists to double the number of patients they can review in a day. Currently used in about 15 per cent of trusts offering dermatology services, teledermatology is set to be rolled out to all areas of England by July this year. The use of dermatoscopes to take photos is also being expanded across GP practices, which can support people living in more in rural communities to get a faster diagnosis without having to travel for a specialist appointment. More than 600,000 people have been referred for skin cancer checks in the last year – almost one tenth (9 per cent) higher than in the previous year and double the number sent for checks almost a decade ago. Over 56,000 patients with…

  • Nasa probe analyses Sun’s satellite-disrupting solar storms

    Nasa probe analyses Sun’s satellite-disrupting solar storms

    The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) was launched in 2018 and will approach within four million miles (6.5 million kilometres) from the centre of the Sun during its mission. It has already become the closest-ever artificial object to the Sun. A report from the University of California Berkeley has said the probe detected streams of high-energy particles that match the “supergranulation flows within coronal holes”, which suggests that these are the regions where the so-called “fast” solar winds originate. Solar winds are streams of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun that can disrupt communications, navigation systems, satellites and even cause power outages. Fast solar winds typically originate from the coronal holes usually at the Sun’s poles during its quiet periods…

  • 675m people live without electricity worldwide

    675m people live without electricity worldwide

    The report has found that about 675 million people live without electricity worldwide, with 80 per cent of those without access to power — 567 million in 2021 — living in sub-Saharan Africa. The research was published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).  The investigation's findings concluded that the world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to ensure access to clean, affordable energy for all by 2030.  Although global access to electricity increased from 84 per cent in 2010 to 91 per cent in 2021, from 2019 onwards the world has seen "a recent slowdown in the global pace of electrification…

  • Why employers need to support green career paths

    Why employers need to support green career paths

    Green jobs are on the rise, as all areas of business take charge of sustainability in operations and decision-making like never before. Across industries, the mission to double down on sustainability is driving job growth and creating millions of new career paths in sectors ranging from clean energy, construction and manufacturing to low-emissions tech. Net employment prospects are clear: globally, the green transition could be the driving force behind 30 million freshly created jobs by 2030 . And businesses are all too aware that moving quickly could deliver big results, in terms of both the environment and business growth. Many are voting with their feet and showing real resolve to pivot at pace, but the reality is they need workforces equipped with the knowledge and skills to unleash the…

  • UK to ban China-made surveillance equipment from government departments

    UK to ban China-made surveillance equipment from government departments

    Last year, government departments were told to stop installing cameras made in China in sensitive buildings. It has now announced plans to strengthen the Procurement Bill, which lays out the rules that central government departments use when selecting suppliers. This includes establishing a National Security Unit for Procurement which will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security, and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements. The Cabinet Office said it would publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. In the last year, it halted the installation of such equipment on sensitive government sites and asked departments…

  • Binance and Coinbase sued by SEC in cryptocurrency crackdown

    Binance and Coinbase sued by SEC in cryptocurrency crackdown

    The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is cracking down against cryptocurrency operators, by suing two of the most important players in the sector: Binance and Coinbase.  On Tuesday 6 June, the SEC asked a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to freeze the US assets of cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The petition followed the regulator's launch of a suit against the platform the previous day.  In the filing, the SEC accused Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao of engaging in a "web of deception" and "calculated evasion of the law", that included mishandling customer funds, artificially inflating trading volume on the site and evading US regulation. The company and its founder have also been accused of diverting customer funds to companies controlled by Zhao. …

  • ‘Fundamental’ revamp of planning system needed for UK to meet net zero

    ‘Fundamental’ revamp of planning system needed for UK to meet net zero

    According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), at the current rate of development it would take 4,700 years for England to reach the onshore wind capacity called for by government advisers. Progress in England was stalled in 2015 when planning laws were changed to make it more difficult to gain permission for new onshore wind turbines – in what was effectively a ban . A report in December suggested that this decision might have added around £800m to bills this winter alone. The government subsequently launched a consultation into potentially lifting the ban. Nevertheless, only 17 new onshore wind farms have so far been approved since 2015, generating just 6.7 megawatts of power; 0.02 per cent of the on-shore total needed in England, based on National Grid estimates. The…

  • Hyundai and Kia sued for making their cars too easy to steal

    Hyundai and Kia sued for making their cars too easy to steal

    The US city stated the automakers failed to install anti-theft devices called immobilisers on most of their cars for over ten years - between 2011 and 2022 - making their vehicles more likely to be stolen.  New York has joined several other major cities that have sued Hyundai and Kia over the thefts, including Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego and Seattle. The lawsuits have been prompted by the rise in popularity of a TikTok challenge in 2021 that prompted teens to steal vehicles off the street by hot wiring them using a USB cable.  The prompt resulted in an 800 per cent rise in year-on-year car thefts in the city of Chicago, and an 85 per cent increase in these crimes in Los Angeles, according to CNBC.  In New York, officials referred to a "virtual explosion of thefts" of cars…

  • Ofgem welcomes new net-zero mandate

    Ofgem welcomes new net-zero mandate

    The watchdog said that, for the first time, its objectives will directly align the interests of consumers across the country with the UK’s plan to get to net zero by 2050. The change comes in an amendment to the current government’s energy bill. Until now, Ofgem has been tasked with protecting the interests of existing and future gas and electricity consumers. It has also been told to protect these customers’ interests by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the supply of gas and electricity. Now, it will also be tasked with protecting future consumers’ interests by supporting the government to reach its 2050 net-zero target. Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem's chief executive, said: “Our fundamental objective will always be to protect the interests of existing and future consumers. It is at the…

  • Atmospheric CO2 levels now 50 per cent higher than pre-industrial era

    Atmospheric CO2 levels now 50 per cent higher than pre-industrial era

    According to measurements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), CO2 levels peaked at 424 parts per million in May this year, an increase of 3.0ppm over the same period the year before. The measurements were recorded at Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, located on the Mauna Loa volcanic island in Hawaii. The station, which has been operating since 1958, was built there because it is 3,397 metres above sea level and located far from any continent. These factors ensure that air samples collected there represent a good average for the central Pacific. The contamination from local volcanic sources is sometimes detected at the observatory, then removed from background data. The carbon dioxide data on Mauna Loa constitutes the longest record of direct measurements…

  • BBC, Boots, British Airways among victims of mass cyber attack

    BBC, Boots, British Airways among victims of mass cyber attack

    The hackers exploited a flaw in the MOVEit Transfer application, used by companies such as payroll provider Zellis to transfer documents. Zellis has said eight of its client firms have been affected by the breach. Although no official attribution has been made, Microsoft said it believed the criminals responsible are linked to the notorious Cl0p ransomware group, thought to be based in Russia. The company said the hackers responsible have used similar techniques in the past to steal data and extort victims. The victims of the hack include private companies such as the BBC, Boots, British Airways and Aer Lingus, as well as public bodies such as the government of Nova Scotia, in Canada.  Companies affected were warned that their staff's personal data - including ID numbers, dates of birth…

  • AI advances could put human lives at risk, Prime Minister’s adviser warns

    AI advances could put human lives at risk, Prime Minister’s adviser warns

    Clifford, a member of the UK's AI taskforce, has stressed the need for regulations that prevent AI tools from becoming  “very powerful” systems that humans could struggle to control. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's adviser commented on the technology's rapid development in an interview with TalkTV, where he stated that even the short-term risks that come with AI were “pretty scary”.  “You can use AI today to create new recipes for bio weapons or to launch large-scale cyber attacks," he said. "These are bad things." Since the interview was published, Clifford has stated headlines based on the TalkTV interview – which quoted him stating that AI could kill many humans within two years' time – do not reflect his views. 1/3 Quick thread on AI risk: there’s a story in The Times today headlined…

  • AR app to help blind passengers navigate stations receives share of £2m funding

    AR app to help blind passengers navigate stations receives share of £2m funding

    The Department for Transport has announced a £1.96m fund to improve accessibility in the UK’s transport systems. Makesense Technology is receiving part of the fund to create an app that uses augmented reality to create bespoke walking routes to help visually impaired travellers get around railway stations. Other projects include a system that uses large kites to tow ships at the same speed as a traditionally powered craft, which could help reduce the use of polluting engines and decarbonise shipping. Start-up IONA Logistics will explore how autonomous drones based out of small delivery hubs can be used to deliver small packages faster and cheaper to hard-to-reach rural areas Port of Tyne is exploring the viability of using remotely controlled, and in some instances automated, electric…

  • IBM to open quantum computing data centre in Europe in 2024

    IBM to open quantum computing data centre in Europe in 2024

    The facility will be located in Ehningen, Germany. It  will host multiple IBM quantum computing systems, each with utility-scale quantum processors of more than 100 qubits, the company has said.  The quantum data centre will serve as IBM Quantum’s European cloud region, with the goal of providing access to these new technologies for research institutes, companies and public organisations in the region.  “Our goal is to bring useful quantum computing to the world. To me, that means we have to bring access,” Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President of IBM Quantum, told reporters in a briefing.  While most computers process data in bits, with a binary value of either zero or one,   quantum computers   use a two-state unit for data processing called a qubit,   which represents several…

  • Apple unveils the ‘first spatial computer’, the Vision Pro

    Apple unveils the ‘first spatial computer’, the Vision Pro

    The Apple Vision Pro headset is designed to blend digital content with the physical world, introducing a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by natural, intuitive inputs — the user’s eyes, hands, and voice. Vision Pro features an ultra-high-resolution display system with 23 million pixels across two displays, driven by custom Apple silicon in a dual-chip design. Apple also introduced another operating system for the headset, visionOS, calling it the world’s first spatial operating system. Vision Pro is designed to let users interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space, so they have an infinite canvas for apps that go beyond the boundaries of a traditional screen display. The headset is intended to offer the user infinite…

  • SSE fined nearly £10m for breaching its generation licence

    SSE fined nearly £10m for breaching its generation licence

    The firm was found to have secured “excessive payments” from National Grid ESO in exchange for reducing output at Foyers pumped storage power station during periods of what is known as ‘transmission constraint’.  When constraints on the electricity transmission system exist, the ESO will take action to manage flows across the network, including using the balancing market to increase and decrease the amount of electricity produced by different generators. Situations which could cause transmission constraints might include times where there is insufficient network capacity to transport power out of a particular area in which local generation exceeds demand.  During these times generators can, in theory, exploit their position by charging the ESO excessive prices to reduce their output,…

  • Air quality stations accidentally collected valuable DNA samples for decades

    Air quality stations accidentally collected valuable DNA samples for decades

    An international team of researchers has discovered that thousands of ambient air quality monitoring stations around the world are unwittingly recording environmental DNA (eDNA). Global warming has been known to cause severe loss of biodiversity, but researchers have struggled to quantify its effect due to the lack of infrastructure for tracking extinction rates - until now.  A vital source of biodiversity data has been identified by new research in air quality monitoring stations. These stations have been collecting dust and pollution particles for decades. However, their filters have also accidentally collected valuable samples of eDNA, which can be used for analysing the progression of climate change.  As part of this research, scientists found evidence of eDNA of over 180 plants and…

  • Global fungi network could store a third of fossil fuel carbon emissions

    Global fungi network could store a third of fossil fuel carbon emissions

    Mycorrhizal fungi are responsible for holding up to 36 per cent of yearly global fossil fuel emissions below ground - more than China emits each year. The fungi make up a vast underground network all over the planet underneath grasslands and forests, as well as roads, gardens, and houses on every continent on Earth. Researchers are now calling for fungi to be considered more heavily in conservation and biodiversity policies, and are investigating whether we can increase how much carbon the soil underneath us can hold. The underground network of fungi stores over 13 gigatonnes of carbon around the world, roughly equivalent to 36 per cent of yearly global fossil fuel emissions, according to new research. It is widely believed that mycorrhizal fungi could store carbon, as the fungi form…

  • UK car parks could ‘collapse’ under the weight of EVs, report warns

    UK car parks could ‘collapse’ under the weight of EVs, report warns

    Over recent years, vehicles have increasingly gotten heavier, with their average weight rising from 1.5 tonnes in 1974 to almost 2 tonnes today. As a result, old multi-storey car parks might be at risk of collapse. This increase in weight could prove fatal, and might have caused the death of one person in the collapse of a multi-storey car park in New York City in April 2023. The incident is still under investigation.  To prevent the situation from causing further harm, t he Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) commissioned a team of 10 engineers to update design recommendations for multi-storey car parks. The review's conclusions proposed that car park owners have their buildings inspected by engineering firms to see if they need to be strengthened. If this was not possible…

  • Blood test for ‘zombie’ heart cells could help to boost organ transplants

    Blood test for ‘zombie’ heart cells could help to boost organ transplants

    Currently, hearts from donors aged over 65 are not accepted for donation due to the likelihood of a poor clinical outcome. While hearts age at different rates, age isn’t necessarily the best indicator of heart health.  Newcastle University researchers are working to develop a test which may help clinicians determine quickly whether a donor heart may still be suitable for transplant. With around 320 people currently waiting for a lifesaving heart transplant, it is hoped this new test would help to increase the number of hearts available. The research has shown that people with heart disease have more senescent – or ‘zombie’ – cells than those without, after they found higher levels of ‘zombie’ cell markers in their blood. ‘Zombie’ cells aren’t dead, but they don’t work as they should.…

  • Caltech team achieve wireless energy transfer in space

    Caltech team achieve wireless energy transfer in space

    The achievement was made by MAPLE (Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment), an array of flexible lightweight microwave power transmitters with precise timing control.  MAPLE is one of the three experiments carried out by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as part of its Space Solar Power Project (SSPP), an ambitious plan to deploy   a constellation of space solar panels that could harvest solar power in space and beam the energy back to Earth.  "Through the experiments we have run so far, we received confirmation that MAPLE can transmit power successfully to receivers in space," said Ali Hajimiri, Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering and co-director of SSPP. "We have also been able to program the array to direct its energy toward…

  • Robot ‘chef’ watches videos to recreate recipe

    Robot ‘chef’ watches videos to recreate recipe

    The robot was programmed with a ‘cookbook’ of eight simple salad recipes, and after watching a video of a human demonstrating one of them it could identify which was being prepared and make it. The videos also helped the robot incrementally add to its cookbook. At the end of the experiment, it was able to come up with a ninth recipe on its own. The researchers said their results demonstrate how video content can be a valuable source of data for automated food production, and could enable easier and cheaper deployment of robot chefs. Several commercial companies have built prototype robot chefs, although none of these are currently commercially available, and they lag well behind their human counterparts in terms of skill. Human cooks can learn new recipes through observation, whether…

  • View from India: Digital disruptions

    View from India: Digital disruptions

    Digital transactions have brought transparency into the system and made lending-borrowing accessible and hassle-free. A case in point is the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), which enables people to transfer money between bank accounts using a mobile device. In May 2023, UPI transactions reached 14.3 trillion rupees in terms of value and 9.41 billion in volume, according to the system’s creator, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). In comparison to the month of April, this is a 2 per cent rise in value and 6 per cent in volume (from 14.07tn rupees and 8.89 billion transactions). Clearly this digital payment system is a phenomenal success and probably needs to be elucidated. UPI tops the charts for convenience. Money can be transferred between multiple accounts without separate…

  • Green hydrogen production costs could be lowered with new method

    Green hydrogen production costs could be lowered with new method

    By reducing the  amount of platinum and iridium used in water electrolysis devices, scientists believe they could bridge one of the largest barriers to green hydrogen production.  Hydrogen is a versatile, storable, potentially zero-carbon fuel source, that has been hailed as one of the  solutions that will enable countries to reach their net-zero targets. It produces just heat and water as by-products when burned or used in fuel cells, making it a highly attractive alternative to fossil fuels in industry, power, shipping and transport. However, due to the high production cost of water electrolysis devices required to produce it, green hydrogen has been considered too expensive to be worthwhile investing in.  A research team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) could…

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