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Laser beam welding
Science, Maths & Technology

Laser beam welding

...energy laser beam directed at the joint to be welded. The surfaces of the workpiece melt, bonding the two parts together. Results in a narrow weld zone and HAZ. Combining laser and gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding can produce deeper weld penetration...[Images to demonstrate 'Laser beam welding' - see article ] A high energy laser beam is focused onto the surface to be...
Ion implantation
Science, Maths & Technology

Ion implantation

...energy stream of ions that penetrate the surface. This is not a diffusion process. Once impregnated into the surface, the ions (usually carbon or nitrogen) lose their energy and stop moving. The compressive stresses generated in the surface layers improve mechanical and fatigue properties, as well as corrosion and wear resistance...[Images to demonstrate 'Ion...
What is polonium - and why is it so dangerous?
Science, Maths & Technology

What is polonium - and why is it so dangerous?

...energy) of alpha particles produced by radiation is specific to the isotope that emits them and leaves a kind of signature, with which the original isotope can be identified. A sample of fluid suspected of containing polonium is dried onto a surface and the energy of the emitted particles is measured. The number of particles with a particular energy is directly...
Is there life on Europa?
Science, Maths & Technology

Is there life on Europa?

...energy. Even though you may be familiar with these types of metabolisms, the microbial world offers an enormous diversity of alternatives which mean they can be found in environments on Earth where other organisms could not survive. On Europa, the thick ice layer (4–20 km) prevents any light from reaching the ocean and so, if life is present, it must be sustained by the...
Leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of female athletic performance
Health, Sports & Psychology

Leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of female athletic performance

...energy. A lead car shone a laser onto the road to pinpoint the shortest route, ensuring Kipchoge didn’t run a step too far. A cyclist rode alongside him to pass specially formulated sports drink to ensure he didn’t become depleted of energy or dehydrated. And that’s only some of the science that supported this incredible feat. The ‘default male’ in sports...
Cost-of-living crisis, or just back-to-life blip?
Money & Business

Cost-of-living crisis, or just back-to-life blip?

...energy bills could increase as much as 50% when the price cap is adjusted in April. Regulated rail fares will go up 3.8% in March, and food retailers will soon have to decide how far to pass on the steep wholesale price rises of basics including bread and milk. Residential rents went up 4.6% in the year to last September, reflecting the boom in house prices, whose annual...
A year in review 2022
Education & Development

A year in review 2022

...energy prices continue to roar] Martin Lewis warned us that soaring energy bills were a 'national crisis' on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic (and the soaring didn’t end there!), US politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, despite discouragement from allies in the Biden administration, and the Horniman museum in London agreed to return its Benin Bronzes to Nigeria,...
The Open University's Carbon Calculator
Nature & Environment

The Open University's Carbon Calculator

...energy use is the main component, for travel it is car travel and flights, and for everything else the main components are use of services like health and education. Different calculators therefore give different results depending on their assumptions, data sources and what they include. This calculator attempts to be comprehensive by including the effects of income,...