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The Energy Security Strategy: Going nuclear

Francis Livens By Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The government has today announced plans to build eight new nuclear reactors in the UK, alongside strategies to boost wind, hydrogen, and solar production. These new reactors are intended to improve the UK’s energy self-sufficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as creating thousands of new jobs. In this blog, Professor Francis Livens of […]

Rapid diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

The rapid and accurate diagnosis of fungal infections is crucial to effective treatment and ultimately saves lives. Diagnostics are often not widely available in low income countries leading to inappropriate and delayed treatments. This is the case for a serious fungal infection called chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), and often for other fungal infections associated with […]

Computer robot makes micro chip

Can we use autonomous robotic systems in hazardous environments?

Louise DennisMatt Luckcuck By , and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Autonomous systems are becoming increasingly commonplace across all facets of modern life, including hazardous environments, where the choices made by machines have the potential to cause harm or injury to humans. But how well do we understand the decision-making process of artificial intelligence, and how does this affect trust in autonomous systems? In this blog, Professor […]

Psychedelics for mental health: tripping over red tape

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

The last decade has seen a new focus on psychedelics as powerful medicines for treating severe mental health issues, including the use of psilocybin for conditions such as PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. However, many of these potentially life-saving treatments, including psilocybin, remain difficult to research due to overly strict drug laws. In this blog, Professor […]

Sustainable engineering – not just engineering for sustainability

By Filed Under: Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Net zero now forms the heart of policies and strategies across government, from “levelling up” to “build back better”. Combined with the UK’s National Infrastructure Strategy, it is clear that engineering – particularly new technologies such as robotics and AI – has a core role in our decarbonisation efforts. But how green are the technologies […]

biogas plant in the UK

How to incentivise bioenergy with carbon capture and storage responsibly

By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The latest IPCC report on the state of the world’s climate shows that the remaining carbon budget – the amount of CO2 that can still be emitted while keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees – is almost gone. To meet net zero within these parameters, we will need to remove CO2 that is already in […]

E-scooters parked on city street

Digital platforms, COVID-19 and the reshaping of urban mobility

Headshot of Andy LockhartHeadshot of Mike HodsonHeadshot of Andy McMeekin By , and Filed Under: All posts, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

When COVID-19 struck, it caused unprecedented disruption to urban transport systems. Stay-at-home and social distancing orders had dramatic impacts on urban mobility. Cities around the world ground to a halt, and many saw a sudden and prolonged emptying out of urban centres. In this blog Dr Andy Lockhart, Prof Mike Hodson and Prof Andy McMeekin […]

Carbon capture and storage: A solution under our noses

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legally commit to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. With new evidence of rapid, anthropogenic-induced climate change emerging, it is likely that many climate forecasts have underestimated the speed and extent of climate change. This means that drastic action is needed to both slow […]

picture of cars on a congested road

The right tools for the job: Tracing the sources of harmful particulates in the future economy

Nicholas Marsden By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology Posted:

While poor air quality is generally associated with adverse health outcomes, some air pollutants are more harmful than others. In this blog, Dr Nicholas Marsden outlines the need for building air quality monitoring networks to study specific properties of fine particulate matter (PM). Some PM types are more harmful than others; more research on PM […]

Could concrete save the planet? It’s not as crazy as it sounds…

James Baker By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow has been hailed as ‘the last best chance’ to commit nations to the actions needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. In this blog, James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester – explains how a new concrete product, developed at The University of Manchester, could be the solution to a […]

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