Most attempts to reduce aviation’s climate impact focus on what powers an aircraft. A new UK-led trial is looking instead at where an aircraft flies, testing whether relatively small changes in altitude could prevent some of the condensation trails that contribute to global warming. Operation Blue Skies will conduct what its partners describe as the world’s first … [Read more...] about UK airspace trial to test whether changing flight paths can reduce contrails
UCL workshop puts school students in the engineering driving seat
For anyone considering a career in engineering, seeing how a design progresses from a computer screen to something that can actually be built and tested can make the subject considerably more tangible. That was the idea behind UCL Mechanical Engineering’s inaugural STEM Racing Workshop Day, held in partnership with STEM Racing UK. The event brought 110 students and teachers … [Read more...] about UCL workshop puts school students in the engineering driving seat
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launches to map the dark universe
Space telescopes have traditionally faced a trade-off. They can look deeply into a small patch of the universe, revealing distant galaxies in remarkable detail, but surveying enormous areas of sky at that resolution takes time. NASA’s newly launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been designed to change that equation. Roman lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in … [Read more...] about NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launches to map the dark universe
Scientists discover diamonds can generate electricity
For more than a century, diamond has been regarded as non-piezoelectric, meaning it should not generate an electrical voltage when mechanically deformed. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have now discovered that diamond can behave very differently when it is made extremely thin and flexible. The team, led by Professor Zhiqin Chu and Professor Yuan Lin, used … [Read more...] about Scientists discover diamonds can generate electricity
Robot trialled for cardiovascular health checks in Scottish GP surgery
A wheeled robot that can guide patients through routine cardiovascular health checks has been trialled at an NHS GP surgery in Dundee, offering a glimpse of how robotics could take some of the repetitive workload out of primary care. The system was developed through the HEART-POD project, a collaboration involving Heriot-Watt University’s National Robotarium and Edinburgh … [Read more...] about Robot trialled for cardiovascular health checks in Scottish GP surgery