Day: April 29, 2016

Engineering, TechnologyLeave a comment

Big Ben falls silent – Great Clock undergoing repairs – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

The famous chimes of Big Ben are to fall silent after 157 years of nearly unbroken service. The Great Clock of the Palace of Westminster in London needs urgent repairs as part of a £30m project to prevent its mechanism from failing. The tower will be partially covered in scaffolding for three years from 2017, although engineers plan to keep at least one of the four clock faces always visible. The bells will fall silent for several months, chiming only for important events, a House of Commons statement said. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading Big Ben falls silent – Great Clock undergoing repairs – an annotated infographic

Engineering, TechnologyLeave a comment

E&T news weekly #92 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week

E&T magazine

Friday 29 April 2016  Jack Loughran, news reporter Driverless vehicles worry Brits as UK automotive sector soars This poll showing that most Briton’s are concerned about driverless vehicles shows why you should never let the public make decisions about subjects they don’t fully understand (*cough* EU referendum *cough*). According to the poll of 1000 British motorists, 65 per cent are unsure about the new technology, probably for no reason other than being scared of new, unfamiliar things, like foreign countries and their inhabitants for example. Driverless vehicles are shown to be safer than human drivers for a number of reasons. … Continue reading E&T news weekly #92 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week

Engineering, TechnologyLeave a comment

Transit of Mercury – tiny planet to cross the face of the Sun on 9 May – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Something yonder this way comes – the planet Mercury. The tiniest and innermostiest planet in our solar system (the one closest to the Sun and the one probably exclaiming every day, “Coo, it’s a bit hot again today, eh?”) will pass between Earth and the Sun on 9 May 2016. Eagle-eyed skywatchers can catch sight of our perspiring planetary friend by viewing it through a telescope. Mercury will appear as a tiny black dot moving across the face of the Sun. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading Transit of Mercury – tiny planet to cross the face of the Sun on 9 May – an annotated infographic