Study engineering at university if you want to become a billionaire, report suggests
Students who study engineering or business at university are more likely than their peers to become billionaires, a new study suggests. Those who have already entered the job market and are either in a sales career or stock trader role are also among the most likely to become part of the world's richest people club. The findings are based on a study by the recruitment agency Aaron Wallis, which looked into the richest 100 people in the world to see if there was any correlation between their first careers and how wealthy they became. Read more...
Lancaster University developing energy-harvesting roads
A project at Lancaster University will try to develop roads that can generate electricity from passing traffic. A group of engineers led by Mohamed Saafi is working on smart ‘piezoelectric’ ceramics that could be embedded in road surfaces and would be able to harvest and convert vehicle vibration into electrical energy. Read more...
Bath team claims smart meters are fundamentally flawed
Researchers from the University of Bath have said that existing smart meters are not fit for purpose, and have developed their own smart meter in response to the problem.According to the team, the government’s £11bn smart meter rollout is fundamentally flawed, as the devices being deployed save users little or no energy. Critics have said that the main beneficiaries of the scheme will be the energy companies, as manual readings of meters will no longer be needed. But homeowners only receive rudimentary information on their energy use, and it is claimed that this is not enough to significantly affect behaviour. Read more...
Enpro Subsea receives Gold Award for Innovation
Aberdeen-headquartered Enpro Subsea has won the Innovation Award at the prestigious Press and Journal Gold Awards 2017, held at the Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen.The subsea intervention specialist company was recognised for its patented flow access module (FAM) technology which was a contributing factor to a major operator in the Gulf of Mexico achieving first oil in just 11 months – a record time for the operating company and one month ahead of schedule. Read more...
Bloodhound SSC to make first public run
The world’s most advanced straight-line racing car, BLOODHOUND SSC, will be driven for the first time at Cornwall Airport Newquay this October – 20 years after the current land speed record of 763mph was set. Thousands of visitors are expected to come and see history being made as Bloodhound SSC is driven at speeds of up to 200mph on the 1.7mile (2.7km) long runway. Wing Commander Andy Green steered Thrust SSC to victory on 15 October 1997 and will be at the wheel of Bloodhound SSC as it is put through its paces this autumn. Read more...
‘Milestone’ certification of first AM-produced part for oil and gas sector
Lloyd’s Register has certified the first part to be produced through additive manufacturing for the oil and gas industry. The titanium gateway manifold, designed for pipelines, was built by AM specialists 3T RPD for the Safer Plug Company. SPC technical director Ciaran Early said that Lloyd’s, which oversaw and certified the process and components, had “opened a gateway to the future.” Read more...