Category: Technology

The innovative Ammonia Synthesis Platform using Intermittent Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) plant offers a solution to the significant challenge of energy wastage. About one-tenth of all wind generation in Great Britain in 2024 was produced but not used. Innovative approach to renewable energy storage The ASPIRE plant represents a major advancement in the UK’s green energy […]

The innovative Ammonia Synthesis Platform using Intermittent Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) plant offers a solution to the significant challenge of energy wastage. About one-tenth of all wind generation in Great Britain in 2024 was produced but not used. Innovative approach to renewable energy storage The ASPIRE plant represents a major advancement in the UK’s green energy […]

The shape of the universe is not something we often think about. But my colleagues and I have published a new study suggests it could be asymmetric or lopsided, meaning not the same in every direction. Should we care about this? Well, today’s “standard cosmological model” – which describes the dynamics and structure of the […]

Between 2016 and 2024 there were 193 internet shutdowns imposed in 41 African countries. This form of social control is a growing trend in the continent, according to a new open access source book. It has provided the first-ever comparative analysis of how and why African states use blackouts – written by African researchers. The […]

The refreshed framework sets out UKRI’s ambitions to further reduce its environmental impact while supporting world-class research and innovation. It builds on UKRI’s first strategy, launched in 2020, which led to a 33% reduction in overall emissions. Our key commitments Aligning with the UK government’s net zero target of 2050, with an interim goal of […]

The vision of mining space for resources is no longer science fiction. The Moon’s proximity to Earth and the presence of precious resources make it an increasingly attractive prospect for exploitation. Resources thought to be present on the Moon include uranium, potassium, phosphorus, water ice, platinum group metals and helium-3. The last of these is […]

Every year, millions of tonnes of food end up in South Africa’s landfills. This is a wasted resource that deepens environmental damage, worsens food insecurity and costs the economy billions. But there are opportunities to turn what we throw away into value for people, the planet and local economies. A new study investigates the true […]

aerogondo2/Shutterstock Robots now see the world with an ease that once belonged only to science fiction. They can recognise objects, navigate cluttered spaces and sort thousands of parcels an hour. But ask a robot to touch something gently, safely or meaningfully, and the limits appear instantly. As a researcher in soft robotics working on artificial […]

Dinosaur footprints at Morija, Lesotho, in 1906. The person standing in front of the rock slab covered with tridactyl fossil footprints is not identified. Photos courtesy of the Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution of the University of Montpellier, France , CC BY-NC-SA For over a century, the scientific literature has credited western missionaries with “discovering” […]

After more than a decade of innovation and collaboration, MOONS (Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph) departed the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) in Edinburgh. This marks the start of a 7,000 mile journey to the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Paranal site in Chile. Major international milestone Built by an international consortium led by the […]