Friday November 28 2014   Jonathan Wilson, online managing editor Turning sawdust into gasoline Despite an ongoing global over-reliance on fossil fuels, scientists fortunately keep coming up with new and innovative ways of deriving a fuel source from waste material. The latest development comes from Belgian researchers who have developed a method for turning sawdust into the building blocks for gasoline that could be used as an additive in plastics or fuel. The chemical process modifies cellulose, present in non-edible plant matter such as straw, grass, cotton or paper, by removing oxygen bonded to its hydrocarbon chains while preserving the … Continue reading E&T news weekly #28 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week

Since their adoption more than 14 years ago, significant gains have been made in meeting many of the eight Millennium Development Goals. However, progress for women and girls remains far from sufficient. Gender equality will be in the spotlight as Malala Yousafzai becomes the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The 17-year-old campaigner for women’s and girls’ rights will receive the award, along with fellow activist Kaliash Satyarthi, at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #GenderGap remains as countries worldwide fall short of hitting equality targets – an annotated infographic

In one of the more unexpected examples of life imitating art, the developers behind China’s Shanghai Tower have possibly sought inspiration from Willy Wonka and his Great Glass Elevator, preparing to install the world’s fastest elevators, capable of travelling at a stomach-dropping 18 metres per second. OK, so it’s not a true Wonkavator, because it can’t go sideways and slantways and longways and backways and squareways and front ways and any other ways that you can think of. But at 18 metres per second, these express elevators will make short work of the Tower’s 632-metre height. Wearing a red top … Continue reading World’s fastest elevators to be installed in China’s Shanghai Tower – an annotated infographic

Friday November 14 2014   Jonathan Wilson, online managing editor Robo-dolphins exploring polar ice sheets You only have to see a headline about robo-dolphins exploring the polar regions and you’re laughing already. Fortunately, there is a serious side to this story. The dolphin-shaped robots have been collecting data on the melting of Antarctic ice, which has helped scientists to better understand how ocean currents transporting warm water towards Antarctica add to the disruption of the fragile ice sheets. Thanks, robo-dolphin dudes! New York’s largest transport hub opens to the public Having infamously and irrevocably demolished one of the city’s most … Continue reading E&T news weekly #26 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week