• Where in the world is Maglev

    Maglev technology has been under development all around the world for decades. So why is it confined to east Asia today? Maglev brings to mind The Future. Arguably, it has been doing so for more than a century – the concept dates back to the early 1900s, when German engineer Alfred Zehden was awarded a patent for a system that would propel a train using magnetism. In basic terms, maglev is a form of high-speed transportation in which a train is held above its tracks with magnetic levitation (from which the word maglev is derived). There is variation between designs: they can be monorail or dual rail; use conventional or supercooled, superconducting electromagnets; or even be slotted inside gigantic vacuum tubes to minimise drag. What these models all have in common, and what distinguishes…

  • Researchers create a plant-based plastic that biodegrades in less than seven months

    In a new study, scientists at the University of California San Diego show that their plant-based polymer could offer a viable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. We know all too well that we have a problem with plastics entering our soils and ocean. According to US environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, 11 million metric tons of plastics enter our oceans every year. This is in addition to the estimated 200 million metric tons that are already there. This petroleum-based plastic comes from a whole variety of sources including drinks bottles, other types of plastic packaging and resin pellets used in manufacturing. Much of this plastic will bob on the surface of the ocean for years, such as in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It has an estimated surface area of…

  • UK government invests a further £143m to roll out almost a thousand new electric buses

    Rural areas will be prioritised to receive new electric buses as part of a funding scheme that aims to introduce the zero-emission vehicles across the country. Since the scrapping of HS2’s northern leg, the UK government has made it clear that it plans to reallocate funds to improve local transport, including the bus network. In its most recent announcement, the government says that an additional 955 electric buses will soon take to our roads as part of a funding scheme that will see 25 councils receive funding to decarbonise their bus fleets. This Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme has already enabled many local transport authorities to introduce zero-emission buses. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, zero-emission buses accounted for almost half…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Competition investigation launched into proposed Vodafone/Three merger

    An investigation into the proposed merger between network operators Vodafone and Three is being planned by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns that it could lead to higher prices for consumers. Last year, both businesses announced a joint agreement, which would bring their 27 million customers under a single network provider. There are only four major operators in the UK, and this would unify half the market under one banner. The regulator already carried out a Phase 1 investigation in January to identify whether the deal may lead to a “substantial lessening of competition”. The Phase 2 investigation will now allow an independent panel of experts to probe in more depth the initial concerns identified at Phase 1. The proposed deal has already sparked security concerns…

  • Government bill could put citizens’ privacy, security and safety at risk, warns TechUK

    Trade body TechUK and a broad range of stakeholders have issued a joint statement expressing concerns over the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill. In November 2023, parliament debated the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill (IP(A) Bill). In the briefing the Home Office stated that the number one priority of any government is to keep its citizens and country safe, and this bill seeks to make a set of targeted amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The aim, according to the Home Office, of wanting to amend the law is to “keep pace with a range of evolving threats against a backdrop of accelerating technological advancements”. Ahead of the IP(A) Bill being debated again in parliament on 25 March, non-profit trade body TechUK has released a joint statement expressing concerns…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Forest fires could be tackled by swarms of drones

    Swarms of drones could be used to tackle natural disasters such as forest fires, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have said. Climate change is leading to a global increase in the number of forest fires that occur. The researchers have developed an algorithm that allows swarms of drones to communicate with each other and make independent decisions. When an alarm is raised about a potential fire, the swarms of drones can be sent in. Each is equipped with cameras, thermal and infrared sensors, and temperature detectors to spot the fires. Once the fire is discovered, the drone closest to it becomes the centre of the swarm and attracts others towards it. Each drone also has the autonomy to calculate the fire’s size and potential spread, and decide how many drones are needed…

  • Is disinformation distorting democracy?

    Around half the world’s population have the chance to vote in elections this year – the UK included – so it’s little surprise that we’re already being bombarded with disinformation designed to influence our voting choices. In January, research was published revealing that over 100 deepfake video ads impersonating Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had reached 400,000 people on Facebook as part of a concerted smear campaign. According to research from communications company Fenimore Harper, a spoof BBC News story claiming Sunak has taken part in a billion-dollar scam with Elon Musk had been promoted by anonymous sources in 23 countries. Labour leader Keir Starmer received similar treatment on the opening day of last October’s Labour Party conference, when a fake audio clip of Starmer swearing…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • SpaceX to scale astronaut launch capabilities with a second launch pad in Florida

    SpaceX is in the final stages of certifying a second pad for astronaut launches, which will enable the company to reach its ambition of sending more astronauts into space. To date, SpaceX has performed 13 crewed missions. All of these have been launched from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre. The Kennedy Space Centre, which opened on 1 July 1962, is a multiuser spaceport with more than 90 private-sector partners and nearly 250 partnership agreements. It’s the only pad currently certified for human spaceflight. With SpaceX keen to expand its crew launch capacity, it has long intended to upgrade a second pad – SLC-40 – at the neighbouring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and certify it for human spaceflight. The upgrade of this second pad is going to plan, with SpaceX…

  • UK rail operator faces immediate removal over ‘unacceptable’ performance

    Avanti West Coast (AWC) should have its licence to operate the West Coast Main Line route removed “at the earliest possible opportunity,” Transport for the North (TfN) has said. The group, which represents leaders from transport, business and politics across the north of England, said that passengers have endured months of poor performance from the operator. “A continuation of the current situation is unacceptable to the north,” a report to the TfN board stated. It considered two options including setting a target for improvement by June or immediately terminating the contract for poor performance. It opted for the latter after hearing from Avanti’s managing director Steve Montgomery. TfN plans to write to transport secretary Mark Harper calling for the AWC contract to be terminated…

  • Global e-waste quantities rising five times faster than recycling efforts

    Global quantities of e-waste are rising around five times faster than efforts to recycle e-waste, figures from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) show. A record 62 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010. This is forecast to rise another 32%, to 82Mt, by 2030. With even low-cost electricals containing precious materials such as gold, aluminium and lithium, billions of dollars of valuable resources are squandered by the failure to properly collect and process e-waste. Less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year’s e-waste mass was documented as having been properly collected and recycled in 2022, leaving $62bn of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide. The move towards…

  • Decisive policy is a must if shipping is to hit net zero by 2050, argues new report

    It is possible for sustainable shipping fuels to reach cost parity with fossil fuels by 2035, but only with the help of decisive emissions policy, according to a new report from technology company Wärtsilä. Shipping is responsible for transporting 80% of world trade. While it is the most efficient and environmental means of transporting goods, it emits 2% of global emissions. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but without action emissions could reach more than 45% by 2050. Wärtsilä’s report Sustainable fuels for shipping by 2050 – the 3 key elements of success finds that while existing decarbonisation solutions, such as fuel efficiency measures, could cut up to 27% of emissions, sustainable fuels will be a critical step…

  • Chip manufacturer Intel to receive $8.5bn in US funding to keep US at the ‘forefront of the AI era’

    The Biden administration has proposed up to $8.5bn in direct funding and $11bn in loans to Intel through the CHIPS and Science Act to advance the company’s commercial semiconductor projects at various US sites. Semiconductors were first invented in the US; however, over the years chip manufacturing in the country has significantly depleted. Today the US produces less than 10% of the world’s chips, and none of the most advanced ones that will revolutionise the AI era. However, the Biden Administration is keen to change that. Under the CHIPS and Science Act, various investments have already been made in semiconductor manufacturing. This has now been given a further boost, with the US government announcing that under this CHIPS Act, Intel will receive up to $8.5bn in direct funding, along…

  • Scotland’s 2030 decarbonisation goal is ‘beyond credible’, climate advisors say

    Scotland is unlikely to meet its 2030 pledge to reduce emissions by 75%, government climate advisers have said. In a report, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) blamed “continued delays” in implementing previously promised policies designed to tackle the issue. The Scottish Government pushed back its draft Climate Change Plan last year, despite the 2030 target only being six years away – leaving a significant period without sufficient actions or policies being undertaken to reach the target. Professor Piers Forster, interim chair of the CCC, said: “Scotland has laudable ambitions to decarbonise, but it isn’t enough to set a target; the government must act. There are risks in all reviewed areas, including those with significant policy powers devolved to the Scottish government. “Scotland…

  • Europe’s plastic makers struggle to keep pace with China and meet recycling targets

    Europe’s plastic manufacturers are steadily losing market share to China and are struggling to meet environment and climate targets, a study has found. According to industry body Plastics Europe, Europe’s share of the global sector fell sharply from 22% in 2006 to 14% in 2022. While the amount produced increased slightly from 53.9 million tonnes to 58.8 million tonnes, soaring global consumption rates meant the sector lost ground overall. China, meanwhile, increased its share of global plastic production from 21% to 32% during the same time period. “If this continues, Europe will become increasingly dependent on imports that do not necessarily meet EU sustainability standards, and the ability of European plastics producers to invest in circularity, and the transitions of the many sectors…

  • Just seven countries meet the WHO air quality standards, report finds

    The recently published 2023 World Air Quality Report from Swiss technology company IQAir reveals some stark facts about the level of pollution in cities and countries across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate. Over seven million people die prematurely every year from exposure to fine particulate matter – dust, soot, dirt and smoke – caused by both ambient and household air pollution. To meet WHO guidelines, this fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5), which is less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). In its latest 2023 World Air Quality Report, IQAir published region and city PM2.5 rankings. To do this it analysed data from more than 30,000 air quality…

  • Taxpayer-funded 4G masts boost mobile coverage in rural Wales

    The government has installed the first of 86 new 4G mobile masts in the Welsh countryside in a bid to alleviate poor mobile coverage in rural areas. Due to its mountainous terrain and sparse population, much of rural Wales is lacking 4G mobile coverage, and there is little commercial incentive to make improvements. In 2020, an agreement known as the Shared Rural Network (SRN) was signed by all major operators – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – to share some of their masts and infrastructure to deliver 95% coverage across the whole of the UK by the end of 2025. The investment also came with £500m in public funding to eliminate ‘total not-spots’ – typically hard-to-reach areas where there is currently no coverage from any operator. Network operators have committed an additional £532m to the…

  • The world’s ‘first bio-circular data centre’ will see algae recycled into energy

    Industry and academia are coming together in a new R&D project to harness excess heat from data centres to grow algae, which can then be recycled into energy. Large data centres produce a lot of heat. Some organisations have started thinking about how to recycle this waste heat and use it for something useful, rather than it being lost to the atmosphere. For instance, the Data4 group, a French operator and investor in the data centre market, and the Université Paris-Saclay have partnered to launch an R&D project to capture the heat produced by data centres and reuse it to grow algae in what is deemed the world’s first bio-circular data centre. The project commenced in early 2024 and will be trialed in the Paris region. Currently, the most widespread reuse of excess heat from data centres…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Nvidia CEO introduces the tech giant’s ‘processor for the generative AI era’

    Nvidia has unveiled some major announcements during this week’s GTC 2024, including the Nvidia Blackwell Platform to boost the ability of developers to build more advanced AI models. Nvidia has come a long way since it was first set up in 1993 to bring 3D graphics to the gaming industry. Following its invention of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in 1999, today Nvidia is the third-most valuable company in the US behind Microsoft and Apple, recently hitting a market valuation of $2tn. At GTC 2024, its annual developer conference, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang took to the stage for his keynote announcing that with the rise of multi-modal AI – able to process diverse data types handled by different models – the demand for advanced computing infrastructure intensifies. “We need another…

  • £58bn electricity grid revamp urgently needed to support renewables, operator says

    A £58bn revamp of the UK’s energy grid is needed to connect a raft of new offshore wind facilities to be built off the Scottish coast, the regulator has said. National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) anticipates that Britain’s electricity needs will rise by nearly 65% by 2035 as heat and transport are increasingly electrified in a bid to decarbonise the grid. But the current infrastructure is reaching its capacity and is unable to transport much more electricity without reinforcing the network. Investment in renewable energy generation has exceeded investment in transmission capacity over the past decade, resulting in bottlenecks in the electricity network. The grid’s current capacity was largely set in the 1950s with the development of the ‘supergrid’. This once-in-a-generation…

  • The age of the flying taxi is nigh with the UK government’s new action plan

    Drone technology will transform our skies by the end of the decade, according to the Department of Transport’s Future of Flight action plan. Aviation projects have been under way for some time to demonstrate the feasibility of using drones in urban environments, including electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. What was once conjecture is to become reality. With the government and industry’s joint Future of Flight action plan we may see flying taxis, crime-fighting drones and critical care deliveries in our skies by 2030. Indeed, visitors to this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris will be able to fly to venues using air taxis for the first time. Air travel companies are planning to equip Olympic venues with eVTOL landing systems to transport visitors from the airport to…

  • World’s first dedicated centre for floating offshore wind opens in Aberdeen

    Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf today unveiled the £9m National Floating Wind Innovation Centre (FLOWIC) in Aberdeen’s energy transition zone. Delivered by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in collaboration with Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Ltd, a private sector-led, not-for-profit company, and with funding from both the Scottish government and Innovate UK, FLOWIC has been designed to boost the development of floating offshore wind technology in the UK. According to Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, floating offshore wind off the north coast of Scotland is not only a huge economic opportunity but will also contribute to decarbonising North Sea energy production. While conventional offshore wind turbines are fixed to the seabed, floating wind turbines are deployed…

  • Heat pump uptake must ramp up to reach government targets, spending watchdog warns

    The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report that finds government is not meeting its planned projections for heat pump installations, which is a key component of reducing emissions from home heating. Home heating accounts for 18% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. With the net zero by 2050 target looming on the horizon, the government is keen for us to switch from our current carbon-emitting heating systems to low-carbon alternatives such as heat pumps. To decarbonise the UK’s 28 million homes, the government wants to see 600,000 heat pumps installed per year by 2028. This is an elevenfold increase on 55,000 heat pumps installed in 2022. Even with the government’s £450m Boiler Upgrade Scheme, in which homeowners can receive grants of £5,000 for an installation, only 18,900 heat…

  • Scientists unveil ‘world’s fastest AI chip’ set to power AI supercomputers

    California-based Cerebras Systems has launched the Wafer Scale Engine 3 (WSE-3), an AI chip that delivers twice the performance of its 2021 predecessor the WSE-2. The 5nm-based, 4 trillion transistor WSE-3 chip includes 900,000 AI optimised compute cores and is composed of a silicon wafer measuring 8.5 by 8.5 inches. This third-generation chip will be used to power the Cerebras CS-3 AI supercomputer, delivering 125 petaflops of peak AI performance and training AI models up to 24 trillion parameters. According to Cerebras, these 24 trillion parameter models can be stored in a single logical memory space without partitioning or refactoring, dramatically simplifying training workflow and accelerating developer productivity. It claims that training a one trillion parameter model on the CS…

  • Nasa lights beacon on the Moon to help astronauts land in the right spot

    Nasa has lit a beacon on the Moon for 30 minutes as part of a test for a positioning system designed to make it safer for future astronauts to establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. The Lunar Node 1 demonstrator, or LN-1, was tested during Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission, which delivered six Nasa instruments to the Moon as part of the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme. The autonomous navigation system is intended to provide a real-time communications network on the Moon that could link orbiters, landers and even astronauts on the surface. It could also be used as a location tool, allowing explorer to gauge their position relative to other networked spacecraft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. Nasa researchers said the system would be…

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