Volumes & issues:
Volume 14, Issue 5
1 June 2019
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- Author(s): D. Ross
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 4 –4
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0511
- Type: Article
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Leonardo da Vinci died on 2 May 1519. 500 years later, E&T celebrates his lasting contributions to civilisation, and wonders if we'll see his kind of genius again. - Author(s): H. Lamb
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 5 –5
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0512
- Type: Article
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Democratic presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders have all joined growing calls in the US for the possible break-up of tech giants including Facebook. Facebook Inc controls three major social platforms comprising approximately 2.3 billion users: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 6 –7
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0513
- Type: Article
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News from around the world. - Author(s): S. Morgan
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 8 –8
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0514
- Type: Article
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EU leaders met in Romania for their supposed first post-Brexit summit in May, but the UK's failure to leave put the blinkers on an intended look at the future. - Author(s): L. Sharpe
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 9 –9
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0515
- Type: Article
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Unified digital maps of underground pipes and cables are being created in north-east england and london in pilot projects that are intended to pave the way for a national register of underground assets. - Author(s): P. Dempsey
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 10 –10
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0516
- Type: Article
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Some of Silicon Valley's biggest players seem to have lost the ability to read their markets. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 11 –11
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0517
- Type: Article
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Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that robotic pets could benefit older people living in care homes, providing much of the pleasure and comfort of real pets, as well as increasing social activity. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 12 –12
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0518
- Type: Article
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Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance artist and polymath, died on 2 May 1519, aged 67. He is renowned for the scope and depth of his interests as much as for his works of art. - Author(s): C. Chambers
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 13 –13
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0519
- Type: Article
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Engineers have to abide by stringent regulations when they build bridges, cars or skyscrapers. Yet when programmers write algorithms, they can do what they want - with sometimes serious consequences. Isn't it time they were regulated too? - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 14 –16
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0520
- Type: Article
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Send your letters to The Editor, E&T, Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2AY, UK, or to [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit letters and to use submissions in any other format. - Author(s): B. Smye
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 17 –17
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0521
- Type: Article
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Museums of the future could be filled with 3D-printed replicas of precious artefacts rather than the fragile real thing. - Author(s): T. Fryer
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 18 –21
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0522
- Type: Article
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Part of Leonardo's genius lies in the fusion between engineering and art. To have that imagination and combine it with both mechanical understanding and the ability to create meaningful - and beautiful - drawings has inspired engineers for the last half millennium. Some of his inventions were deemed impossible, while many inspired real and recognisable objects that are part of our daily lives, albeit requiring modern materials and technology to make them workable. Here we look at a selection of Leonardo's drawings and real-life versions created from them. - Author(s): B. Heubl
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 22 –24
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0500
- Type: Article
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After 500 years, the magic of the legendary engineer persists among today's research communities. Scientists are active in mentioning Leonardo da Vinci's ingenuity in their works. But what makes ideas half a millennium old still valuable to modern science? - Author(s): R. Northfield
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 26 –29
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0523
- Type: Article
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Ever thought you had a knack for making predictions, like betting you'll pick the red sweet out of the sharing bag, and it happens? Well, you haven't got anything on these great minds. Sorry. - Author(s): C. Edwards
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 30 –34
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0501
- Type: Article
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The article presents some of the improbable, vaguely possible machines of the future as they look today. Systems discussed include: space elevators; robotic artificial muscle; a brain inspired 3D computer and evacuated tube transportation systems. - Author(s): P. Neroth
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 36 –38
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0502
- Type: Article
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None of history's known polymaths quite measure up to Leonardo da Vinci, but the article looks back at seven great thinkers set apart by their inventiveness over entirely different domains and by their vigorous creative energy. They include: Benjamin Franklin; Emanuel Swedenborg; Omar Khyyam; Shen Kuo; Nicolaus Copernicus; Mikhail Lomonosov and Gottfried Leibniz. - Author(s): H. Clarke
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 40 –43
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0503
- Type: Article
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Despite having not been realised, Leonardo da Vinci's ambitious plan to build an ideal city demonstrated a practical side of his genius. Town planners are now studying his ideas as they prepare for the climate change challenge. - Author(s): L. Williams
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 44 –47
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0524
- Type: Article
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Conservation has always been more of an art than a science, but new techniques are giving restorers more data to inform their decisions than ever before. We look at how today's tech is restoring yesterday's treasures, including some of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces. - Author(s): S. Doyle
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 48 –49
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0504
- Type: Article
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The article discusses physicist and sculpture artist Dr Jasmine Pradissitto's upcoming installation in London. Made from a NOx-absorbent material, 'Breathe' aims to raise awareness about air quality in cities. - Author(s): B. Heubl
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 50 –52
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0505
- Type: Article
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Amid mounting financial pressures, E&T analysis finds many local authorities lack expertise on the perils of carbon emissions and risk failure in future reduction commitments. - Author(s): L. Murray
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 54 –57
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0506
- Type: Article
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Geoforensics is a method that the police and forensic scientists use to help solve murder-related crimes. Here we uncover cases where the innovative approach of analysing soil evidence proved successful. Soil samples, from footwear or vehicle footwells, can demonstrate a clear timeline of the movements of suspects and their vehicles, making a lie of their stated alibi locations and tying them into a crime scene. Mud recovered from a killer's vehicle can direct a search for a missing body and help to secure a murder conviction, and geophysical techniques, commonly used in archaeology, can be deployed to reveal clandestine burials. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 58 –59
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0525
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A decade of research by sports brand Adidas and partners across the world has gone into the company's first trainers that can be completely remade into a new pair of high-performance running shoes when they wear out. - Author(s): I. Kaminski
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 60 –63
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0507
- Type: Article
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The UK's heat sector accounts for about a fifth of national CO2 emissions, and the government's advisory Committee on Climate Change has been highly critical of efforts to decarbonise it. In a recent report it recommends that new homes should not be connected to the gas grid from 2025. Instead, it says, they should be built on systems such as heat networks, where a group of buildings are linked to a central energy source through underground pipes. The promise of heat networks, also known as district heating systems, is that they can provide greener heating to many homes or businesses at once and may be cheaper and more reliable than alternatives. The UK's first district heating scheme was built in Pimlico in the 1950s to funnel waste heat from Battersea Power Station to thousands of homes and businesses. Heat networks grew in popularity and some councils bought into them enthusiastically, particularly for social housing. But the idea never gathered steam the way it did in parts of Europe, particularly the Nordic countries, Germany and the Netherlands, and fizzled out in the latter part of the 20th century. - Author(s): L. Williams
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 64 –65
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0508
- Type: Article
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Researchers have developed a new nano-shrinking technique that can fabricate nanoscale 3D objects, with potential applications in semiconductors and even DNA. The nano-shrinking technique using a polymer was developed by a team at MIT. The process, called implosion fabrication, involves taking the polymer, called sodium polyacrylate, and adding a fluid to make it swell. The object can be shrunk to a thousandth of its original size while maintaining its overall shape and integrity. - Author(s): L. Williams
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 66 –69
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0509
- Type: Article
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The chances are high that most people you know have never heard of skyrmions. This is natural, because they are rather murky products of quantum field theory that act like particles without actually being particles. So far so obscure. Skyrmions, however, may soon be as well known as silicon chips. That's because they have the potential to change the face of computing, revolutionising the fields of data storage, information processing and artificial intelligence. Skyrmions are quasi-particles - little twists in energy fields that look and behave like particles. They can be moved around, interact with other skyrmions and be created and destroyed. Like particles, they can be extremely stable, lasting years in the right conditions. Based on their inherent stability, the most promising application for skyrmions is in data storage, where each skyrmion acts as a bit. However, there are challenges to overcome - researchers have only been able to find magnetic skyrmions that are too slow and too large to compete with existing memory devices. Until now. In December 2018, a team from MIT published a paper showing that they could achieve the right sizes and, to some degree, speeds to be competitive.The size, speed and stability of skyrmions could mean smaller and faster memory devices are around the corner. What's more, because of skyrmions' inherent stability, they are still there when you turn the power off. This means that something called normally-off computing could be achieved. Skyrmions' potential extends even beyond classical computing. Neuromorphic computing seeks to use neural networks to mimic the way the brain processes information and is behind some of the most powerful machine-learning algorithms.structure. - Author(s): N. Newman
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 70 –73
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0510
- Type: Article
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GREEN-MINDED companies are using traditional energy-generation methods such as solar power and wind turbines t r good effect. However, some are turnin to apparently quirkier solutions that focus on conservation of energy. Government incentives to achieve 4 carbon targets set out in the Paris Agreement of 2015, and dramatic price falls in renewable generating technologies, have combined to encourage businesses to cut their energy. consumption and, in the process, reap savings on their bills and emissions. Likewise, government climate policies have encouraged the greening of both manufacturing and site operations. One innovative green energy solution now being appropriated by businesses is to employ anaerobic digester (AD) plants to turn their organic process and industrial waste into electricity and heat. An AD is an airtight tank in which bacteria break down biodegradable materials into usable products, primarily biogas - a combustible mix of methane and carbon dioxide. Technology in the form of groundi' and air-source heat pumps, which rely on natural heat, is gradually displacing fossil fuels for heating or cooling homes and buildings in South Africa, Australia''. and the UK. Another novel sustainable approach seen in southern hemisphere countries is the use of seawater to cool buildings, while cities in the northern hemisphere are taking water from lakes and rivers for the same purpose. Insulation has benefitted from use of new materials and the comeback of natural fibres such as wool and hemp. Management of energy consumption has advanced with the introduction of Internet of Things technology and is being augmented with` cloud-based systems. These innovative measures are being adopted in factories, offices, industrial parks and universities, for example, offering the benefits of reduced operating costs, predictability of energy bills and enhanced green credentials. Organic waste from manufacturing processes is being transformed into a source of electricity and heat. Essentially, the organic waste is fed into an AD plant in which the `digestion process' produces biogas, which is then burned to release heat. This heat turns water into steam, which turns the blade of a turbine generator to produce electricity. In the UK, the confectionery arm of the food giant Nestlé and the Scottish whisky industry are two prime users of anaerobic digesters, which they use to turn their organic waste into biogas, the first step to producing electricity. There is increasing strong interest from food and drink manufacturers in developing on-site AD plants to `digest' their processing residues. - Author(s): N. Smith
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 74 –77
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0526
- Type: Article
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Chairman of the British automation and robot association (Bara) Mike Wilson discusses the 'underperforming' state of the UK's manufacturing robot industry. He says without an increased commitment to automation, it will find itself with bigger problems on its plate than Brexit. - Author(s): T. Fryer
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 78 –79
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0527
- Type: Article
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Assuming we render Earth uninhabitable in the future, is settling on another planet, as proposed in 'IO', an option? - Author(s): C. Quin
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 80 –81
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0528
- Type: Article
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Gadgets that let you speak 74 languages, get ready for summer, display doodles and finally have a proper hands-free digital assistant in the car. - Author(s): P. Dempsey
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 82 –83
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0529
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Debatably dearer, disappointingly disposable. - Author(s): N. Smith
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 84 –85
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0530
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With today's unprecedented rate of technological change, many of us are left wondering what effect this will have on our lives. But it's not all bad news, says Lord Browne in his new book on the future of civilisation. - Author(s): H. Lamb
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 86 –87
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0531
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Quick readers may yet believe in Six Impossible Things before breakfast, before looking at Tim Cook's tenure as CEO of Apple, and the key role of the Orkney Islands in pioneering renewables. - Author(s): S. Doyle
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 88 –88
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0532
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Quick readers may yet believe in Six Impossible Things before breakfast, before looking at Tim Cook's tenure as CEO of Apple, and the key role of the Orkney Islands in pioneering renewables. - Author(s): J. Pollard
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 89 –89
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0533
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Ben Carlin persuaded his new wife that the ideal honeymoon would be crossing the Atlantic in an ex-Army amphibious vehicle. - Author(s): T. Fryer
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, p. 90 –91
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0534
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New York City has welcomed its new arts centre, which features an innovative, movable outer shell that doubles the building's footprint to accommodate large-scale performances, installations and events. - Author(s): D. Sandham
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 92 –92
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0535
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Give your brain a workout with this month's testing puzzles. - Author(s): R. Northfield
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 94 –94
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0536
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Who wants a judging mug or a mirror/piece of art/waste of space? Anyone? I thought not. - Author(s): H. Lamb
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 97 –97
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0537
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A villain with a fondness for antiquity wants an effective weapon that will look appropriate behind battlements. - Author(s): V. Vitaliev
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 14, Issue 5, page: 98 –98
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2019.0538
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A little-known story of a tiny Belgian enclave that helped save London from possible destruction during the First World War.
Opinion - Editorial. Editor's Letter
News - Briefing. Politics: Democratic hopefuls weigh in on possible Facebook break-up
News - Briefing: World News
News - Comment. View from Brussels: Politics: Après Brexit, le déluge . . . EU summit finds its flood of ideas dammed
News - Briefing. Infrastructure: Buried pipes and cables to be listed in single register
News - Comment. View from Washington: Technology: Have Silicon Valley's big beasts lost the power of the pivot?
News - Briefing. Healthcare: Robotic pets spark joy in care homes
News - Briefing. The Graphic: The life of Leonardo da Vinci
News - Comment. Money & Markets. Algoithms: Without AI regulation, we're all at the mercy of the chronic algo-holics
Opinion - Feedback. Your Letters
Opinion - First Person. Comment. History: Additive manufacturing can give past treasures a new lease of life
Leonardo - Design. Da Vinci drawings brought to life
How to be remembered like Da Vinci
History - Predictions. Who saw that coming?
Improbable Machines [vaguely possible machines of the future as they look today]
All the all-round geniuses [historical great thinkers]
Da Vinci's new Milan [historical urban planning]
Leonardo - Restoration. Back to former Glory
Awareness through art [city air pollution]
Lingering Austerity: stymies local carbon cutting efforts
Solving crimes with geology
The Bigger Picture - Adidas Futurecraft Loop
Getting hotter: are heat networks about to take off in the UK?
Honey, I shrunk everything! [3D nanoscale fabrication]
A change in computing [skyrmions]
Unexpected ways factories are saving energy
Interview: Mike Wilson
Big screen - There's no place like home
Reviews - Consumer Technology: Gadgets
The Teardown: Apple AirPod
Book Interview: Brave new engineering world
Book Reviews: Six Impossible Things; Energy at the End of the World; Tim Cook
BuzzWords: VR; AI; Drones; 3D printing; Blockchain
The Eccentric Engineer - Travel: How sea sickness and near-suffocation spoiled a romantic getaway
The Measure of: The Shed (Hudson Yards)
Thinking Cap [puzzles]
Technology - Blog: Bizarre Tech - Global warming mug; Art mirror; Fruit clothes
Regulars - Columnist. Dear Evil Engineer: Question - Could I replace my machine guns with steam cannons?
After All: Wireless - How the spark gap proved itself mightier than the bomb
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