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Stuart Penkett’s discovery of the chemical processes that cause acid rain changed our understanding of atmospheric pollution and what was needed to deal with it. Penkett, who has died aged 87, and his colleagues at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) in Harwell, Berkshire, published a landmark paper in 1979 in the journal Atmospheric Environment, … Read more
Learn more about how microwaves have changed the way we communicate and helped us understand the origins of the universe. The Pope is watching. This had a better job. Such thoughts probably crossed Guglielmo Marconi’s mind in 1932 as he set up a special antenna in the Vatican gardens while His Holiness Pope Pius XI … Read more
During the first half of January, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the Mexican oil company, repaired a pipeline containing crude oil that was thought to contain more than 19 square kilometers (50 km2), which runs from one of the oil platforms in the Cantarell field to the Dos Bocas facilities. The location of the spill is one … Read more
Scientific experiments can change the world around us. Throughout history, several experiments have led to amazing inventions that have rewritten our collective rule book. But the experiment of making light materials can produce a new flexible film that produces its light and energy? How did this new energy and lighting technology come about? How ultra-thin … Read more
Summer is a busy season at Schirmacher Oasis, an ice-free rocky outcrop on Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. It is near the base of the Nivlisen Ice Shelf and about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the open waters of the Lazarev Sea, the country’s “oasis” in the middle of a continuous glacier is home to … Read more
It is a proven fact that forests and water are closely related. For decades, integrated water tests – a scientific method of evaluating the effects of land use on the quantity or quality of water – have shown that when we lose forests, the total amount of water flowing into our rivers tends to rise. … Read more
In 1916, just a year after Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, Karl Schwarzschild used mathematical calculations to show this: If enough mass were packed into a very small volume, then this dense enough mass would create a region where the gravitational force is so strong that nothing, including light, could escape from … Read more
LLast week the energy record was broken: not in the price of oil and gas but in the production of wind power. On Wednesday lunchtime, between 1.30 and 2pm, the turbines were producing 24 gigawatts of clean energy. In an instant Ed Miliband’s vision of superpower was realised: 55 per cent of our electricity was … Read more
President Donald Trump’s war against Iran is clashing with US bond investors, who have shown little appetite for Treasury securities as they hope the war will end soon. This past week, auctions of two-, five- and seven-year Treasury notes all attracted weak demand, forcing yields higher than expected. That’s a big difference from last month, … Read more
A nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom is not expected to be completed until 2040, but experts are already working to reduce maintenance costs and shorten shutdown times. It is part of the STEP – Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production – program implemented by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions. The goal is to unlock nearly … Read more