Image copyright McDonald family Image caption Jack McDonald spends up to 20 hours a week on his technology studies Education will be high in the mind of many parents, particularly if they have been grappling with home learning. But what subjects should young people be studying to prepare them for the future? Tim and Kelley McDonald enrolled their son Jack… Read more →
Image copyright Ryan Talaski-Brown Image caption Games like Animal Crossing have a strong social element Chris Conway had been planning a surprise birthday party for a housemate, and that was the plan until 20 March when Oregon’s governor told all residents to stay at home. No-one was to go out unless absolutely necessary because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so Mx… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Engineers admire the dragonfly’s flying ability, but have found it impossible to mimic When Storm Ciara swept across the UK in February, Alex Caccia was strolling on Oxford’s Port Meadow watching birds take to the air. He marvelled at their indifference to high winds: “While airliners were grounded by the weather the birds couldn’t… Read more →
Image copyright Cloudminds Image caption The XR-1 at a hospital in China Since February, California-based manufacturer CloudMinds has shipped more than 100 robots to China. Many of those have gone to hospitals, where the XR-1 provides information to patients and helps guide visitors to the right department. The artificial intelligence (AI) incorporated into the machines means they can operate on… Read more →
Image copyright Onduline Image caption Onduline products are sold in more than 100 countries Maxime Firth’s business is complicated to manage, even in good times. His company, Onduline, turns recycled fibres into roofing material, after dousing them with bitumen to make them waterproof, and sells products in 100 countries. Its eight production plants span from Nizhny Novgorod in Russia and… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Millions are working from home, in a shift that is likely to have permanent sticking power, bringing digital technology and telecoms to the fore. There are worries that smaller digital firms will fall through the cracks in government support schemes, but also opportunities to be doing more while on furlough, with a ‘tech army’. Employment intentions… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Blue skies in the UK in April were a bonanza for solar power One of the few parts of the UK economy to have a good April was solar power. The Met Office says it has probably been the sunniest April on record and the solar power industry reported its highest ever production of… Read more →
Image copyright UCSD HEALTHImage caption The coloured area shows where the algorithm has detected pneumonia When Covid-19 was at its height in China, doctors in the city of Wuhan were able to use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to scan the lungs of thousands of patients. The algorithm in question, developed by Axial AI, analyses CT imagery in seconds. It declares,… Read more →