Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussion

Technical Short: Sustainability

A stripped down version of our episode 'what is sustainability?' that provides a clear explanation of the topic without any of the distractions.

Technical Short: Electrocution and energy harvesting

Our research for the episode on a house that stores electricity involved some kinda weird-yet-strangely-compelling conversation and we've pulled the best bits together! Antonia and Chris discuss many reasons why a cement-based battery is safe to handle, review research into wearable devices and energy harvesting, and question what the future might hold.

Can you build a house that stores electricity?

A recent discovery got the team speculating about the future. Laura, Antonia and Rwayda take a look at research where cement is made to store electricity and wonder whether this material could be used to build our future homes. How much electricity can it store and what can it power? Is there a futuristic way of using that power without the need for cables? What's next for this laboratory discovery?

Read about this episode here.

What is sustainability?

It's a buzzword that comes up a lot in food, transport, energy, and other industries. Laura and Antonia discuss what sustainability means and why its not so easy to decide whether something really is sustainable. Although some aspects of sustainability can be measured, others are more of a philosophy which depend on the society and environment you're working in. The team digs into a real-life example that compares digital books to printed ones to illustrate how challenging it is to demonstrate sustainability.

This special episode might also have a record number of references to previous episodes. How many can you spot?

read a short summary of this episode here.

Are there any benefits of ionising radiation?

Radiation is all around us; we're all slightly radioactive! Ellie, Emma S, Laura and Priyanka talk about how radiation is used in medicine to treat cancer and how the body can repair damage to healthy cells. They also discuss how it's used in materials science, how it can help control mosquito populations and preserve food. Some wild speculation also considers how we could all become X-men and develop useful characteristics of animals.

Read about some specific examples of radiation in medicine.

How do we deal with invasive species and repopulation in the natural world?

Humans have been shaping the environment for decades, and so have other species. When humans do it, it often has some negative, unintended consequences. Laura, Ellie and Antonia discuss some invasive species that were intriduced to Australia and what was done to try and manage the effects along with the battle of grey versus red squirrels in Victorian England and the lasting effect that it has had. Conversely, where a species has been completely removed from an environment, the team also discusses how they can be carefully reintroduces and the consequences that beavers could have as environmental engineers. It sounds like we want beavers to use smart phones but We're not quite sure that's what we mean. Why not judge for yourself?

What can materials science learn from nature?

The natural world has evolved to give us some really cool stuff, stuff that inspires us to make better materials. Laura and Ellie discuss some of their favorite materials that mimic something from nature as well as some machines and other devices that are inspired by nature. They also speculate on what adaptations they might want, including retractable claws and something inspired by the Aliens movies.

 

The team discussed adaptable thermal insulation that is inspired by squid skin. Read abut this here.

Are solar cells the future for electricity generation?

Following on from the episode about the electricity grid, Aneeqa, Jennifer and Laura discuss how two types of solar cells, also known as photovoltaics, are made and how they work. The ability of these devices to convert sunlight into electricity should mean they're perfect for tackling climate change so the team also asks how sustainable they are to make and recycle, how long they last, and whether they produce enough electricity for our needs.

The points made in this conversation helped Laura decide whether she would get solar panels and you can read all about it.

What don’t we understand about electricity?

The UK's electricty grid started development about 100 years ago and originally accommodated steam driven turbines that are controlled by people. Ghalia, Antonia and Laura discuss whether the electricity grid can work with electricity generated from intermittent sources (like wind and solar) alone and what adaptations are being developed. They also struggle to remember lessons from high school about electricity, and provide insight from their careers which involve water engineering, energy analysis and particle accelerators.

Claim your T-shirt or bag and be part of our team's anniversary celebration. Take a look at our Twitter feed to see what these limited edition, exclusive items are like.

This episode was recorded as part of British Science Week and released a few days after International Women's Day. Read an article inspired by this episode.

Should we control the weather or get better at predicting it?

The UK has been severly affected by storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin in less than seven days, which were predicted with startling accuracy for much of the UK. The weather forecast isn't always so accurate though. Ghalia, Aneeqa, Jennifer and Antonia discuss what weather predictions mean for transport, heating and air conditioning (AC) and why it may not always be accurate. Ghalia explains how the water industry needs to forecast the weather decades into the future so that agriculture and sanitation can be supported while Antonia references how renewable sources of electricity are dependent on wind and gas. The team also discuss how geoengineering can be used to control the weather and climate, and debate whether such control is good for humans and the environment.

Read about this episode here.