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Issues

Issue 101

December 2024

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A woman with blonde hair wearing glasses and a pink evening dress holds two certificates and a trophy.
  • Software & computer science
  • How I got here
  • Issue 101

Q&A: Aurelia Brzezowska, cybersecurity expert

An Amazon Future Engineer bursary has helped computer science student Aurelia Brzezowska to make the connections and meet collaborators to launch a network for women working in tech.

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A hand with a red and white fluffy sleeve and white glove holding a toy train with steam coming out the top.
  • Environment & sustainability
  • Issue 101

How can Santa be more environmentally friendly?

Santa rides his sleigh with his reindeer around the world delivering gifts every Christmas Eve. Before Christmas, he rides steam trains. Chau-Jean Lin investigates the sustainability of his various modes of transport.

An illustration of hands around a crystal ball containing a weather forecast on a backdrop of computer code
  • Environment & sustainability
  • Software & computer science
  • Issue 101

AI shakes up the world of weather forecasting

It has been a banner year for the UK’s AI powerhouse, Google DeepMind. Beverley D’Silva reports on how the company’s award-winning weather forecasting technology is transforming meteorology and beyond.

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An illustration of a large group of blue fish of different sizes, swimming in the same direction
  • Design & manufacturing
  • Maritime & naval
  • How does that work?
  • Issue 101

How do fish swim in schools?

For fish, swimming as a school has a host of benefits. This feat of nature is now inspiring engineers and impacting their innovations.

A small white robot bandaging up a person's forearm.
  • Technology & robotics
  • Issue 101

The future of assistive robots

Robots have made their mark for ‘dull, dirty and dangerous’ tasks, as the saying goes. But when it comes to working closely with people, there’s still a way to go. Dr Gerard Canal explores the future for assistive robots designed to help older people live independently for longer.

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Cars and cyclists traverse through surface water on the approach to Tower Bridge
  • Environment & sustainability
  • Civil & structural
  • Innovation Watch
  • Issue 101

How punching holes in pavements could prevent flash flooding

Climate change is raising the risk of flash flooding in cities around the world. Could rethinking our impervious roads and pavements stop sewers from becoming overwhelmed?

A bronze dinosaur in a garden on a sunny day
  • Design & manufacturing
  • Civil & structural
  • Issue 101

Bringing prehistory to life

Creating a freestanding bronze replica of the Natural History Museum’s iconic Dippy presented unique engineering challenges, some of which would be solved by looking to nature itself. Leonie Mercedes speaks to the teams involved to find out how they did it.

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A solar farm on a sunny day
  • Environment & sustainability
  • Energy
  • Opinion
  • Issue 101

How can we accelerate decarbonisation of our electricity system?

Since taking office in July, the government has been developing its plans to accelerate the decarbonisation of our electricity system, a crucial step on the road to net zero. The scale of this challenge is immense and rapid action is needed to achieve it.

A wetland lush with green plants.
  • Environment & sustainability
  • Issue 101

Water treatment turns to nature

New regulations on river pollution and biodiversity, along with a need to move towards net zero, have prompted water treatment engineers to build wetlands where plants and microorganisms filter out pollutants, leaving water clean enough to flow into rivers without doing any damage. Michael Kenward OBE looks into how they are being deployed across the UK.

A man with tortoise shell glasses smiling at the camera.
  • Software & computer science
  • Profiles
  • Issue 101

A network for change

Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, the new President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, talks to Michael Kenward OBE about his role in changing the shape of network engineering and his passion for technology businesses that meet social needs.