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Posts by: Michael Banks
Shanghai round-up
NYU Shanghai is the first Sino–US joint-venture university
By Michael Banks in Shanghai, China
It’s been a busy three days in Shanghai and now I’m on my way to Beijing to continue reporting for the China special report, which will be published in June.
As I mentioned in previous blog posts, Shanghai has thrown up some interesting stories. I heard about plans for a new 12 m telescope and also received a progress update on the construction of a new X-ray free electron laser in the city.
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China outlines free-electron laser plans
Zhentang Zhao, director of the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics.
By Michael Banks in Shanghai, China
There was a noticeable step change in the weather today in Shanghai as the Sun finally emerged and the temperature rose somewhat.
This time I braved the rush-hour metro system to head to the Zhangjiang Technology Park in the south of the city.
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Chinese astronomers pin their hopes on LOT
Lei Hao from the Shanghai Astonomical Observatory.
By Michael Banks in Shanghai, China
It was a cold, rainy day here in Shanghai, so coming from the UK, I felt right at home.
Jumping into a Shanghai taxi to avoid the downpour, I headed to the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, belonging to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to meet astronomer Lei Hao.
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China bound
Courtesy: Shutterstock/ArtisticPhoto
By Michael Banks
I am heading to China tomorrow for a five-day trip in what promises to be a fascinating update on some of the physics that is being carried out in the country.
The purpose of my journey is to gather material for an upcoming special report on China, which will be published later this year.
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Boosting innovation in a Brexit Britain
Kevin Baughan, chief development officer at Innovate UK, addressing delegates at a Westminster Higher Education Forum yesterday on UK science funding and policy.
By Michael Banks
I headed to London yesterday for an event on the future of UK science and innovation funding and policy that was organized by the Westminster Higher Education Forum.
Held at the Royal Society of Medicine, the meeting was attended by representatives from government, business and academia. It was impeccably timed given that the “Brexit bill” is currently going through parliament and the UK government recently published an industrial strategy together with the announcement of an additional £4.7bn for R&D.
While it is safe to say that the UK is a scientific powerhouse, the same cannot be said of its ability to translate research into products and services, something that the new industrial strategy aims to tackle.
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A fusion fly-over
By Michael Banks
To the critics, a working fusion power plant is always 30 years away.
But in the past decade, progress has been made at the construction site of the ITER fusion reactor in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
Ten years ago – on 29 January 2007 – preparation work began on ITER’s home in the large stretch of national forest. Within two years, more than three million cubic metres of rocks and soil had been removed to level the site ready for the behemoth.
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Run the solar system
By Michael Banks
Fancy running through the entire solar system while out for a jog?
Well, soon you can, thanks to a free smartphone app from the British Science Association (BSA), which is set for release in early March. Run the Solar System is an “immersive running app” with the solar system scaled down to a 10 km virtual race.
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Stephen Hawking turns 75 with commemorative tome
Special edition. (Courtesy: Isle of Man Post Office and Glazier Design)
By Michael Banks
What better way to celebrate Stephen Hawking’s 75th birthday than a limited edition commemorative book?
To mark the occasion, the Isle of Man Post Office has released Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking: 100 Years of General Relativity – a 32-page glossy tome that features quotes from the two famous physicists.
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The 10 quirkiest physics stories of 2016
By Michael Banks
From a physicist playing at this year’s Masters golf tournament to an animal halting CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), physics has had its fair share of bizarre stories this year. Here is our pick of the 10 best, not in any particular order.
Dinner that’s out of this world
This culinary concoction was created by food artist Pridence Staite. (Courtesy: Ash Photography)
Before setting off to the International Space station (ISS) for six months late last year, UK astronaut Tim Peake revealed that one of the meals he would miss most was the classic British roast dinner. So what better way to celebrate his safe return to Earth in June than to create a portrait of him made from his favourite nosh? Designed by UK “food artist” Prudence Staite for the Hungry Horse pub chain, the culinary concoction took 20 hours to make and contained 5 kg of roast potatoes, 3 kg of cauliflower, 2.5 kg of meat, 0.5 kg of carrots, 0.4 kg of garden peas, a whopping 46 Yorkshire puddings and one litre of gravy. The finished portrait weighed in at 12 kg and says “Welcome Home Tim”. Hungry Horse has even offered Tim and his family free roast dinners for life.
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Quantum technology 2.0
Niki Haines from Insight Technologies predicts the future of quantum computing.
By Michael Banks
Are we on the verge of a “quantum 2.0” revolution?
That was a question raised yesterday at an event that I attended at HP Labs in north Bristol, which was organized by the University of Bristol.
The day-long meeting featured a series of talks from industry about how quantum technologies are affecting business.
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