Home retrofit drive could create future e-waste problem, researchers warn. The UK's push to make homes more energy efficient could create a new waste problem if low-carbon technologies aren't designed with their full lifespan in mind, researchers have warned. Heat pumps, solar panels and home battery systems are expected to play a major role in helping the UK cut carbon … [Read more...] about Researchers urge lifecycle approach to home retrofits
Cambridge engineers build robot fish to study how vertebrates first walked
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a fish-like robot that could help explain how some of Earth's earliest vertebrates first learned to walk on land. The project combined engineering, biology and palaeontology to investigate how several modern fish species move across land and whether their movements can shed light on one of evolution's most significant … [Read more...] about Cambridge engineers build robot fish to study how vertebrates first walked
New Designer of the Year 2026 project targets post-immersion hypothermia
Bournemouth University product design student Rupert Murphy has been named New Designer of the Year 2026 for developing a portable rescue device that could improve the treatment of people rescued from cold water. Re-Warm, Murphy’s final-year project, addresses a vital stage in cold-water rescue. After someone has been rescued from the water, their core body temperature can … [Read more...] about New Designer of the Year 2026 project targets post-immersion hypothermia
Advances in ultra-black coating technology bring new opportunities for engineering applications
Producing surfaces that absorb almost all visible light remains an important challenge in optical materials engineering. Instead of relying solely on dark pigments, researchers are designing materials with microscopic surface structures that trap incoming light, leaving almost nothing to be reflected. The result is a surface that appears strikingly black, even under bright … [Read more...] about Advances in ultra-black coating technology bring new opportunities for engineering applications
AI-driven analysis reveals new proteins from the deep ocean
A study published in Nature has mapped millions of genes from deep-sea microorganisms collected at hydrothermal vents, methane seeps and deep-ocean trenches. The work revealed an unexpected level of genetic diversity, with researchers reporting that more than 60% of the proteins identified had not previously appeared in public DNA databases. Finding them was only part of the … [Read more...] about AI-driven analysis reveals new proteins from the deep ocean